The Loud House: 2039
by Outsider316
Summary: The dark adventures continue with Linka Loud and company when a new deadly force make themselves known after Lupa is nearly killed. What they find down the line will prove more than they believe could handle.
1. The Dark of You

**Unspecified Time - Unspecified Location**

The cabin, a creaky hellhole that had lived far past its life, well past over seventy years, was making its commonly troubling squeaking sounds, with the help by the only inhabitant who made this place their home for many years. The person was alone for some time, and certainly enough time to begin to grow accustomed to the creaking; the resident and the cabin, both of which were betrayed and abandoned by time and the rest of the world.

Like the outer layer of the shacked up shit-hole, the inside of the cabin matched up with it; mold around the windows, unpolished, stained furniture, and untidy layers of dust decorated the rest of the place. The only table was half dusty as it would normally get when unchecked, with several clean lines made by fingers, done so without any effort or desire to bother wiping it away. The sink was overcrowded with dishes and utensils, had been that way for over a week. It was unclear to the housed person if there were cockroaches roaming around or under the plates. Not that she cared at all. The sleeping bag that served as her bed was undone, laying as a miniature display of an uneven terrain.

She stared out the moldy window, looking below the mountainside. Some few large pine trees were blocking the skyline, but the woman had no interest in looking in the clear blue sky's direction. No, she happened to be looking down.

Her daily agenda had been the same for as long as she first came and stepped foot here; an hours-long stroll down to the bottom and back, scouting around the perimeter and checking in on the booby traps designed for animals around, when she wasn't setting them up. She knew how to perform and excel at this, thanks to a relative that had passed away long ago. That's how she was able to survive here, if that was the correct term to use.

In this dull afternoon, with a high sun shining in the area, Linka caught glimpse of two tiny figures moving around the slope of the mountain. She squinted and kept her eyes on them, and realized they were actually getting bigger. It appeared they were coming, and Linka tisked at these possible visitors.

Truthfully, she expected no one to give her grief, despite knowing on instinct that there were only a handful of people who knew of her whereabouts. This wasn't confirmed, but to her, it didn't have to be. She was right, but wasn't too happy about it.

Whether it was trouble or not, she headed into the kitchen to arm herself with a shard of glass, the only make-due weapon at the moment. Her palm cut open, after grasping it tightly in her hand. The blood oozed out, flowing from her hand and dripping onto the floorboards.

She waited to see what was going to be. And waited. And waited.

 **Seven Minutes Later**

"Hello? Anyone home?" The voice belonged to a woman's, young enough, as there wasn't any rasping or deep tone Linka heard from listening. Linka was perched behind the doorway, still grasping the now bloody glass shard. If they didn't try to break in, they weren't armed or linked to any type of authority. There was no need to wield a weapon, so she let the sharp object hit the floor. The thudding brought upon whispering from outside.

"I could have sworn I heard something," one of the two individuals shared. "She's gotta be in there, Lily."

 _L-Lily?! What's she doing here?! And who's with her?!_

The other stranger was also female, maybe one of the last Louds of the orignal generation. Linka would've preferred a pair of vagabonds instead of them. She sighed and unlocked the door, making a step away from it. The breeze outside did the rest by swinging the ancient door wide open.

There, she saw Lily and Luan giving off surprised looks at her. Lily had now gone to be as tall as Linka, but both were an inch short than Luan.

Lily had never abandoned her lavender clothes, it seemed. Dressed in a lavender sweater, some white sweatpants and a tan scarf, the youngest Loud was still feeling chilly. "Oh, Linka!" She formed a smile that did not get through to Linka.

Luan was dressed as a mime, minus the make-up. This was rather odd, and maybe there was a reason behind it. "Aren't you gonna let us in?" She shivered visibly in the winds, eager to step inside.

Linka hid her bloody hand behind her back and got out of the way. "Make yourselves away from home," she curtly welcomed.

Lily passed by and looked down at Linka. "Oh, god..."

At first, Linka assumed she noticed her bloody cut, but then remembered something else. "Don't..."

"H-how do you do it? How do you keep-" Lily silenced herself with a hand to her mouth. Slowly lowering it, she redirected her words. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

But Linka wasn't phased or triggered at all. "Nothing to be sorry for..." The white-haired clone raised her left hand, which turned out to be a mere stump, with her complete arm missing. The end of it was a hideous dark red color that made the rest of her limb look like an expired piece of meat. "It had to be done..."

"Well... Linka, we've come to tell you-" Luan announced.

Linka had then realized why they were here. "Don't tell me Lupa is-"

The wind grew angry and barged in around the house and blew over some empty cans scattered around the cabin. Lily yelped at the unison rattling of the rolling cans. "I'd better close the door," she suggested.

Luan and Linka exchanged serious looks, waiting for one another to react.

"Is that why you're wearing that?" Linka pointed to Luan's depressing choice of clothes.

"Of course." Luan took a glance around the cabin. "Gee, you ran off here? And..." Luan only spotted one sleeping bag. "Living alone, I see."

Linka clenched her bleeding hand into a fist and sped away from the two. "Well, thanks for stopping by. You can fuck off now." She turned on the sink, leaving some blood on the faucet knobs and rinsed the red away underneath the flowing water.

"Linka..." Lily whimpered.

"Don't be like that, Linka. Lupa gave-"

Linka slammed her hand on the sink. "I know what she did! She bought us _both_ some time! I-" Linka could never express her gratitude to the Lucy clone the way she should have. It was too grand a deal for her to even speak of. Luan bringing it up was only touching the buried feelings Linka tried to keep down. "-Didn't know what she did until it was damn too late to stop it."

Lily set herself down on Linka's cheap bed. "This happened yesterday, you know. She knew you wouldn't bother, so she made us promise her to come here after, to make things... I don't know, more peaceful between all of us. I know we've had our differences and fights, but you're still one of us. I never wanted you or the kid to leave in the first place."

"Lily's right, I'm sure we could've talked it over. I know we could've." Luan kicked around some cans.

Driplets that came crying down from the faucet was disrupting the moment that belonged to the three. Linka knew what to find when, or rather, if she came back home. And what _not_ to. "I prefer this place than there. You've wasted time in coming here if there is more than to just tell me Lupa's gone." Linka moved her good arm and placed it on her hip. "I'm done with you."

Lily was compelled to try and preach with a more emotional speech, but was stopped by the older comedienne as Lily made a step towards the lone wolf. "L-Luan?"

"Okay, if that's what you wish," Luan concluded. "You're always welcome to come back any time you'd like, and there won't be hassles for you, guaranteed. Lily?" Luan felt done here, and rushed to the entrance. The place was really giving her the creeps, the second reason she wanted to leave.

But Lily couldn't believe they had just wasted their time for nothing. "Linka, we've hoped to come take you back. We miss you, and I know you miss us." Lily approached Linka, as if she were a wild animal that had yet to be tamed. "Please..."

Luan allowed it this time and withheld her words, believing that Lily might actually get through to the stubborn, stonehearted woman.

Linka went silent, staring right through Lily. Her decision had been made up already, back when she came running to this isolated area. She chose to fray from the other Louds, and her reasons were justified in her mind. Like back then, she felt they had no understanding of her viewpoint. They were more full of life, always going forward. The thing Linka was never able to push through to.

She shook her head at the awaiting blonde, and turned away. "No," she simply answered back.

Why was it they still kept insisting she come back? She wanted to scream at Lily for the annoying persistence, but a simple, soft zombified moan exited her lips.

"Lily, we should go..." Luan seemed to understand and accept that convincing the distant clone to come back home was futile, as was shifting her beliefs and mindset. No, it wasn't hers to begin with. It was a hand-me-down package deal, coming from Lincoln Loud, but hadn't been opened after Linka stepped foot from her chamber. Coming here was generally pointless, but no one had anything to lose at this point. "Linka's staying here."

"N-no, she can't!" Lily broke the boundary rule Linka set, and embraced her in a sisterly hug. "We can make this work!"

"We've tried, but Linka ran out on us, Lilster. You know what she brought upon us, and I'm done trying. Quite frankly, most of us felt that Linka had to go. I'm sorry to be blunt, but I'm glad you're away..."

Lily could not believe her ears. "N-no, Linka's part of our family. She has a place, regardless of... Of what she's done," Lily cried out.

Of the current roster, the fair and pure Lily kept forgiveness for the clone at fault for the shitstorm she dragged back while on an attempted run from home.

"She's lost an arm, she needs our help!" Maybe if Lily could persuade Luan via heart, Linka would ve given a chance. But she wasn't seeing the bigger picture.

"I don't need your help, or pity, girl," Linka cut in. "Giggles is right, you can count me out. I have nothing, absolutely nothing to return to. Coming here was a waste of however much time you have left."

Lily stepped away from Linka upon letting her go, shunned indefinitely by these hard words. They hit her as if they were arrows striking directly at her heart. "L-Linka, I can't just leave you..."

"Just walk out, the same way you came in. I'll visit Lupa one day, thanks for telling me. I know where to find her, don't worry." After that, she spoke no more.

"Lily, we should leave. We're sorry to have bothered you, Linka." Luan locked a hand with one of Lily's, steadily guiding her out. "Just let us know if you'll come around, you're still welcome to visit."

The only essence of her beloved brother rested within Linka, and all Lily desired was the fractured clone still living around her. Around them. Like it should've been all along.

On her way out, Lily sniffed out, signaling to Luan the young sibling was hurt by the exchanged words and hard choices. Luan couldn't blame her for trying to make Linka come back. "Why, Luan? We can't be turning her away, can we?"

The pair stepped down the mountainside, strolling carefully along a stone path.

It was simple, yet somehow hard to summarize. But Luan was going to try. "Don't you think she's caused us enough trouble as it is? I thought..." Mentioning Lincoln to Lily alone would bring Lily some pain, so Luan stopped from antagonizing the dead brother. Luan couldn't say that Lincoln did decently selfless acts for the lot, but she knew he tried to perform his best to save them. His best meaning whatever the cost. "Look, it's fine. She can take care of herself, she's not exactly weak or lost, you know."

The blonde understood that Linka had the original's survival genes. "Yeah. I guess I do," she admitted. "But, still, I wouldn't want her to live like this. D-did you really mean what you told her? That you're glad she's not with us?"

Luan gulped before answering. "Well, to put it plainly, yes. Luna and Lynn felt the same way, too. Linka had her differences, and we believed it to be troublesome eventually. We didn't count on how big it could escalate, and that was our mistake. We should've placed her under the Agency's care or something."

"Could things have changed? If you did that... Would _we_ all be still alive?" In this case, Linka was definitely following the fallen brother's footsteps, having done both heroic and unnecessary deeds while fighting a new foe. Lily was quick to show gratitude for both the efforts of Linka and Lupa to be there and end the menace, who proved to be more powerful than any past fiend the Louds have encountered and fought during and after Lisa's era. "If it wasn't for her, or Lupa, we wouldn't be here, would we?"

"She left anyway, and we were lucky she came across Lupa. But, yes, she did save us, but there had to be consequences, Lily. Please understand it my way. For us, for you, and your child. This is who we're doing it for, and Linka knows it too. She's known it all along."

Linka reset herself back to the window, gazing over the two girls as they turned into receding shadows again in seconds. Like all the past days she had been living here, time felt slowed, delayed. The constant staring at the world outside the cabin seemed forever. Linka was trapped in a depressed, dark corner life reserved just for her, and there was no crawling out of it. No escape. All that was left, and all that she really wanted now, was to die.

And her deathbed would be here. Damned to die alone.

* * *

 **AN: This is one of three chapters, when combined, will tell its own thing within the fic. Expect the other two further along. Sure, it might not make sense right away, but all light will be shed eventually. Just sit back and enjoy the show. Next; a plot to run away from home!**


	2. Runaways, Part One

**July 7th, 2039**

Linka had just arrived home before the other Louds have, and proceeded to sip from her ice cold mocha beverage she fell in love with. Her phone was off, so there was no telling what time it was exactly, but it seemed like awhile past the afternoon, as the sun was high than it had been earlier. "Ugh..." She still felt the hard punch right underneath her left boob, delivered by Lori's kid, teenager Lucky Loud, whom Linka wasn't sure of what she was to him, in terms of relation. It was all tricky and complex to comprehend when you'd try to arrange the pieces like it was.

The punching blow itself was from another fighting session they had, hiding it away from Luna, who made it strictly clear she wouldn't tolerate any violence from anyone under the roof. There was supposedly no need for fighting, or even training, as all troubles were over, in a consecutive thirteen years.

No need... But there was a want, a desire of it, in the center of Linka's heart.

They resided in Sunnyvale, around the northern part of California, after Lynn's house had been destroyed as their final villain had revealed himself; and to this day, they hadn't forgotten how surprising and heartbreaking it was to have lost him. Neither had Linka.

Life kept going for all of the Louds. All, with the deadening exception of Linka herself, who secretly loathed Lynn for her failure. But that had never been known on the surface, as Linka wouldn't even dare want to speak of that dark day of her life, or whatever scientific term it actually was.

Linka was now physically a woman in her 20s, but was also a teenager if it truly counted for her. In truth, the blood successor of Lincoln had stopped counting her age a little while after the new decade arrived, believing it no longer mattered as she deemed it confusing. Born at being eleven, would you be eleven on the first day?

She was just as old as he was when he died on her, she felt, and maybe that's what she should've just labeled to avoid the mental counting. Twenty one, forever. She twenty one years old, but not really. She seemed like it, so that's what she began to stick to right away. Whatever the real age was, that was relevant, no longer.

Linka rested on a dark red couch in the quiet house, the gift from a secret agency, which was literally called that. It was a house of two floors, five rooms and one bathroom. A tiny place in a not-so-quiet part in this town with a funny name.

The pros of this house were that there weren't any flaws the original had. No busty doorknobs, no constant leakings, no holes on the floor. But the only con was the missing fingerprints on the side of the house.

Of the five rooms, three of them were taken up by the remaining Louds. Of course, it was only Luna, Luan and Lana who would, every now and then, stare into the two remaining empty rooms for a few periods of time, which would be a depressing sight for Linka to bear. Lana would stare into hers, even, which Lily and Lucky found unsettling.

Linka finished her bottle and let it fall onto the yellow, round and ugly carpet Luna placed on the living room. The flatscreen tv, taking the familiar spot in front of the window like they grew on, prevented Linka from spotting their silhouettes as they finally came back from the hospital, undoubtedly with Lily's newborn son.

"Linka!" Luan and Luna were the first to come in, and behind them, Lana and Lily came in, with the baby in Lily's arms.

"Spare me, guys. I was... Doing stuff," Linka covered.

"You missed it completely, and for what?" Luna protested. "I hope it was worth it."

Luan, Lana and Lily headed upstairs, whispering about what the baby boy needed. "Is the crib ready?" Lily asked as they disappeared from Linka's view.

Luna stared down at the white haired clone, placing her hands on her waist. "You gonna tell me you couldn't come because you were out there, doing God knows what?"

"You know me, Luna. I'm getting exercises, and stuff. It's not like I'm getting involved with serious shit. You know me better than that."

"That's just it, Linka! You're also of h-" Luna swallowed her next words, not having the stomach to hurt or offend the clone. "You have certain memories, and-"

"I haven't done anything bad in the last thirteen years! Why would I start now?" Linka backlashed at the head of the Louds.

"Ugh, you're just like a freaking child, you know that?" Luba had no desire to be in an arguing state, especially for a very great miracle. "Anyways, just come upstairs and see the nee addition to the family, will you?"

"No promises," Linka chuckled.

"So, uh, I take it Lucky's taking a nap?" Luna asked.

Linka points up, halfway extending her arm. "You got it, dude!"

"Ugh!" Luna was done getting through to her, and left her alone to catch up with the others.

She headed up abd found them assembled in the room occupied by thr other three main Loud sisters. Lily was resting happily on Luna's bed, cradling her newborn with gentle ease. Lana and Luan were naturally weakened by the child, giving off puppy eyes in awe and squeaking away at the cute infant.

"He's so adorable, Lily! And I can see he has blonde hair, too!" Luan exclaimed. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure you can," Lily agreed. She handed the sleeping baby to Luan, while closing her eyes. "It still hurts below there," she confessed.

"I suggest you nap, sis," Lana beckoned, "Rest, little sis, and we'll watch over him."

"Okay," the youngest sister agreed, adjusting herself in Lana's bed.

Luan carried the the baby out, and Lana pulled the door shut behind them. Luna arrived as they left Lily to sleep. "To Lucky's room?"

"Not sure if he's up already. He was still snoring when we left," Luna informed them. She proceeded to knock on Lucky and Lily's room. "Dude, are you up?"

A faint groan emitted from the other side of the room. "What's your beef?" The thing from behind croaked.

"Don't give me that attitude, kid. Get out here, your newborn cousin's just arrived, come say hi!" Luna despised his attitude.

"Oh, alright, five minutes," Lucky moaned out.

He moved out of his sheets reluctantly, ready to start the day of his new life. The school part was over, for he had graduated already, and college was on the verge of coming. At least, that was the life Luna and the others thought suitable. It wasn't exactly what he wanted with great desire. But that was because he didn't understand how the world worked, or how Luna believed it did, for that matter.

But that didn't stop him from going about and protesting his ideas and plans for an uncertain future to her. The last conversation was a stalemate, when Luna pointed out what a college degree amounted to in the real world. She didn't piece together that this was part of his teenage phase, most of it being parts where he wouldn't listen, and his stubborn quality that proved irritating. Lori had not been that much like how her son behaved, so it was clear where this genetically came from.

Another thing he'd fight over was that everyone was holding back about his parents, and most of the past events had been kept locked away from him. There was almost never a moment where he forgot about all that, or at most, grew curious enough.

Other than a general description and personality of his mother, the late Lori Loud, there was nothing else they would offer the teen. They let him believe what he figured was the main scenario; both parents left him off here, and went elsewhere. That was until Lana once let it slip that something befallen them. After that, Lucky would seek out answers on where and why his parents left, or whatever the hell happened to them.

He came out, sporting only a dark green tank top and some gray boxers. He yawned gratefully, stumbling sleepily into the room Luna was guiding him to.

"Wait, dude, ugh!" She sniffed him, and then pushed him towards the bathroom. "Get a shower, man."

Lucky had trouble turning the knob with his left arm, due to the hand that was still giving him grief after a punch to Linka's chest. Luna squinted suspiciously when she noticed.

"What's up with your arm? Oh, did-" Luna grew to a scolding mother's voice. "Did you have another one of those fights? Really, Luck?"

"No," he lied through his blurry eyes. "I tripped and hit my hand on, uhh, the pavement! It's nothing!"

There was really no need for anyone to find out about this. Sure, most of the Louds decided to go into a pacifist lifestyle. It was Linka who still had the idea where self-defense was needed as a contingency response if it was ever necessary. Lucky bought into the idea, and Linka went on to train him for a good few years now.

And they would often have sessions often, with most of them turning out in Linka's favor, as she was the stronger of the two, and Lucky would still be surprised and wonder how it was possible.

On their last one, which was hours ago, Lucky had gotten a good punch on her that cost him equally. Linka was feeling the impact's pain even less than that his hand endured, but it was still there to sting.

"Lies! Just... Ugh, I'm not dealing with you. But grow up, will you?" Luna grunted and left to see her newborn nephew, and Lucky went off to shower.

The newest Loud addition spent the next half hour sleeping in its nice crib, entangled in a blue blanket. The three sisters stayed in the room, and were still there by the time Lucky came in, with his red hair still fairly wet. Linka was the last to join him after dying of boredom below, and had a front row seat to see Sleeping Baby, The Movie.

"Is this..." Lucky moved besides Linka, looking down to the crib. "A boy, huh? The only cousin I've ever met. So, what's his name?" He turned to Linka for the answer.

However, she kept her eyes locked onto the baby, without a word.

Luan answered for the white haired clone. "It's Lincoln. His name is Lincoln." She smiled at the homage Lily had intended to pay tribute to for the fallen brother. It was a beautiful choice of Lily that made Luna shed a silent tear back at the hospital.

"Oh, another L name? How original," Lucky sarcastically replied.

"It's the name of your uncle on our side of the family-" Luan began to explain with attitude, but halted when Linka rose her head from the crib and aligned with Luan menacingly. The old prankster felt the hair on the back of her head stand on edge. "It's... Yeah, a hand-me-down name."

Linka pulled a Can-You-Not face and left the room in anger when Luan ended there.

"Well, alright then. Hey, little cousin." Lucky leaned over the crib and gently patted the infant's head. He stared at the baby long enough to remember the weekly scheduled questions, and placed himself by the sitting Luan in Linka's bed. "So... Will you guys ever tell me about, you know, my parents?"

"Lucky, we've been over this-" Luan started with a steady softness in her voice.

"Spare me that, aunt. I know that, but I always want to know about them, you know?" He sighed, feeling tired of repeatedly going back and forth with it, something they didn't realize.

Luan looked at Lana, and then back at her nephew. "Okay, look, your birthday's coming up in October-"

"I'm aware, cause my mom told you apparently, right? Before she left me? Did she give you a schedule about me, too?"

Luan took a breather, wanting to fall back to the bed. "Kid..."

It wasn't from Lori they found out from, but rather the Agency, who pulled up dated records from the hospital Lucky was delivered from. It happened to be October 21st, of the year 2021, around events that reshaped the lives of two siblings.

"Yeah, as you should know by now, yes. We'll tell you what you want to know once you're eighteen. Is that fair?"

The teenager crossed his arms and scoffed.

Linka was eavesdropping in on them, forming a malicious idea. She snickered ominously and stealthily, and crept into Lucky's room. She placed herself onto his bed, which was arranged in a messy fashion; there was a pile of clothes, which Linka couldn't tell were stinky or not; the bed was only a mattress on the floor, flat on the right corner of the room; there was also a desk that had definitely seen better days, and the top drawer was open; its companion wooden chair was tipped over, uncaringly; and finally, the room was odorous, as if something had died in there recently.

Linka was appalled by the smell only a little, but had enough repelling force to discard it. It definitely wasn't the clothes, or maybe it was that, but something else added to it.

It was time that Linka made her move, one long overdue. She played by their rules, and lived underneath a facade of false peace when, deep in ber heart, something had never been at peace. Something dearly was missing. Someone.

Lucky only took over three minutes, the conversation having gone loud enough to be heard through the thin walls. He was probably mad again about being kept general knowledge involving his parents. Then, footsteps went thudding in the hallway, and the redhead teen entered like a zombie.

Linka hid behind the open door, still invisible to him as he closed the door with a motion of his leg. Linka watched the brat fall onto his bed and still had his back to her.

He took a while to finally turn to her direction, and that's when he sat up, alarmed. "What- Why are you standing there?!"

Linka pressed a finger up to her lips. "Shhh, easy."

"That's creepy, you know!" Lucky lowered the tone the jumpscare presented. "So, what's up? Need some tree?"

"Tree? Oh, the drug? No, I've heard that you're just dying to know about your biological parents, right?"

"What?" Lucky raised an eyebrow, then shifted to stuttering. "W-wait, you know something?! This whole time, you happened to know something?! Really?!"

"Well, you skipped asking me because you thought I wouldn't know anything, cause I was a kid around then, right?" It was true, Linka struck him as someone who was unaware of the serious things, due to her being one of the youngest.

The teen nodded in silence.

"Right, well... I hate that they act like they're our guardians. I don't think I need mothering, or at the very least, watching over. And you, you're already old enough to know it all, right?"

"I don't disagree, yeah, but what can we do? We're fortunate they haven't found that we've been spareing behind their backs. And that, that's also something I don't fully understand. This family is weird-"

Luna crashed the party, fuming. "YOU'VE BEEN DOING WHAT?!"

Linka facepalmed at letting slip that Luna had heightened senses, despite them speaking quietly. "No, you heard wrong!"

"Nice try, dude! These ears don't deceive me! How long have you been sparring?"

Lucky groaned, burying his face within his pillow. "Can I just get some sleep?"

"We're talking about this now! You both know the rules around here!" Luna pulled off Lucky's covers away, pulling him out of bed.

"Can you not?" He protested. "Okay, yeah, you caught us! Now let me be!"

"Dumb kid... I wish we returned you to the damn orphanage!"

Lucky let that revelation sink in right before his impulsive reaction kicked in. "What? What the hell did you say?!" At first, he thought it was a motivational joke to get him to stoop down. Luna's face showed regret as she just scratched her neck.

Linka coughed, with the moment calling for her to hightail it out of there, but wasn't taking it.

"Well?!" Lucky got up right in his aunt's face. "Orphanage? Is this- Is this fucking true?!"

"Watch your tongue..." Luna faced down, feeling stupid for her own outburst.

"Answer me!"

Luna took a step back, finally allowing the brat his sleep. "No, no, just... Happy nap, kiddo," she lightly said as she evaded him and the truth.

Linka cleared her throat. "Damn... She'll only let this go silenced for so long."

"Enough games... Are you gonna talk or be like them?"

Linka, again, pressed a finger to her lips, and simply said, "No," while nodding to say yes. Then, she moved up to him and she whispered unto his ear the very thing she deemed all that mattered now. "I'm going to run away, and maybe you should come with me."

* * *

 **July 8th, 2039 - Elsewhere**

The roughed up individual, in a purple sweater and a dark blue skirt, crawled towards the blazing fire set in the town. All the wooden and concrete buildings on both parallel streets were engulfed in fire. The smoke had done away with the clear blue skies, succumbing the beautiful atmosphere into a horrifying, depressing coat of darkness.

The person, badly bruised from a recent fight, kept painfully crawling like an infant towards the metal gates she knew to be the entrance. The dirt road was a drag for her, getting one of her favorite outfits dirty, but she carried on. "Guys! G-"

She was weak, concerned for everything and everyone she hoped to not lose today. At this point, there was no telling who was dead, and who was still drawing breath. "Lemy! Lemy, where are you?!"

She stopped her movements once she reached the gate checkpoint. "Anyone?!"

Within the first building on fire, she caught glimpse of an odd, but familiar sight. Two eyes, with red pupils to their iris, and a layer of gray where the white should have been, grew visible, glaring at the defeated girl from within the flames.

"You!" Lupa cried out.

Her attacker, the one who had bested her not too long ago, was there, still around after causing the chaos Lupa was now seeing.

"W-Who are you?!" Lupa screamed, but only to see the pair of hostile eyes disappear. She gasped, and looked around to find them again. But she was looking in the wrong place.

The assailant's foot stepped on one of Lupa's own, sending her into a higher pitched scream. "Looking for me?" The mysterious assailant then laughed with diabolical content, and then placed a hand to the scared Lupa's neck. "Thanks for the challenge, Lupa," the assailant said.

* * *

 **AN: w** **ell, I couldn't really say what this is or where this leads to but I'm pretty sure I can pull it off. Of course, it's gonna be different from 2026 in a few ways, but I'll still have some homage spread like tasty sprinkles. Just expect the unexpected. Really. Again.**

 **Oh and happy birthday to the show! Looks like I have three ongoing fics, plus a fourth; Five Rooms, a dark I-D tale.**


	3. Runaways, Part Two

**July 7th, 2039**

Lucky backed away from hearing the latters whisper. "R-really?"

Linka was serious with it, only giving a nod, having already planned on how and when they would execute their running away, if Lucky was all for it. Was he?

Linka drew out his phone that rested on his desk and immediately opened up to the notes on it. She began to type after silencing the sound of the phone. There was no way that Luna could hear the silenced tapping she performed on the phone. She finished and dropped the device on his lap.

He grabbed and started reading;

 **I've been thinking about this for awhile now, and maybe I've had enough with them and the senseless rules. Of course, I know you feel the same way, too. Come with me, and we can have it our own way. Hell, I'll spill everything you wish to know.**

Lucky's eyes widened with content forming as a slow smile. There it was, the motivation to actually do something. He locked on to Linka's own blue eyes, and looked for the truth that sparkled in them. Yes, she wasn't at all lying, for she looked back into his and gave a simple nod with a confident smile. It was here, it was happening. A desperate form of learning about dearest mommy and daddy had begun to grow and expand, mixing with great joy and closure.

He held a thumbs up, agreeing to it. Whatever it took, whatever was gonna happen, the change would start now. Two members, exiting the main household. But, where to? Or... Did Linka already have something figured out? He trusted her with it, and left it at that, for the meantime.

Linka returned the hand gesture and exited the room after waving a lazy goodbye.

 **Night**

Luna, Luan and Lana had gone out to do some shopping, and left the others home. Lily and the infant were left to be undisturbed, and the two defectors agreed to make no such racket.

The instant the three left, Linka ordered the brat to begin packing. At first, Lucky went around searching for luggage cases or something, but Linka merely pointed to his gray backpack, suggesting he wasn't going to need bigger carry-ons. He figured she didn't want any obstacles slowing them down.

Lucky guessed he was done with education once he emptied his backpack on his bed, dumping all journals, binders, and whatever else there was, and began stuffing it up like a turkey. He had already dressed up in a dark green jacket, mixed with dark blue jeans and his signature orange beanie.

He wasn't sure how he felt about it yet, for it was going too fast for clear processing. All that was in his mind were the answers, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

Linka, on the other hand, was already set with a brown duffel bag, having already prepared this event for weeks. She, who sported her trademark orange and blue clothing attire, waited for him at the entrance, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Kid, hurry up or I'll leave you behind!" She yelled.

Lucky zipped up his backpack the second she screamed. "I'm coming!"

The screams were enough to wake Lily up. She rose from her sheets and softly tip-toed her way out as the redhead teen walked quickly past her. "Lucky?" She wiped the drowsiness from her eyes and studied him.

Lucky stood frozen in place. "Ah, aunt!"

The age gap between them still made him feel awkward to call Lily that. He made an effort to conceal his backpack behind him, but Lily wasn't a blonde like Leni. "Where are you off to?"

Linka's softer foosteps rung closer now. "We're just going to the library," she lied to Lily.

The youngest Loud sister made a skeptical face, and wasn't buying what Linka intended to sell. "That doesn't look empty to me, and you've never gone there before. What's really going on, Linka?"

"We're heading out, it's simple as that. The others will be back shortly. Can you tell them we went out?" Linka added a pretentious, gleeful smile to end the act. "Lucky, meet me outside."

"Coming," the teen scurried away, leaving Linka and Lily to their stare-off.

"How long are you taking?"

"An hour or two, but maybe-" Linka began.

"I know what you're really doing, you know. You're running away." Lily then crossed her arms, shaking her head a bit. "I don't approve. No, not one bit."

"Lily-"

"Don't even bother trying to explain. Luna's told me about what you two have been doing behind all of us. I also disapprove of that, too. What would Lincoln think?"

Linka looked away. "He's just a baby..."

"You know who I'm talking about," Lily countered.

"Stop."

"I can't stop. Not you from leaving, and not me from saying this. But, please stay. We can work something out that'll just satisfy your... Unconventional nature."

"Hmm, what a funny way to put that. But no, I'm taking off and I'm taking the kid." Linka had already made up her mind long ago. It wasn't for awhile until Lily would realize this.

"Of course he'd agree to it, but he's just a dumb teenager. You're tricking him into it, no doubt about it." Lily looked back down the stairs, seeing no sign of Lucky.

Linka just smiled and laughed. "That makes me sound like I'm playing him, and it's not at all like that. Anyways, take care, Lilster. I never had any issue with ya, so..." She did a salute to the blonde and strolled back down. Not once did Linka look back, despite knowing Lily's eyes were on her like sharp blades.

Even after they both lift, Lily maintained her daze into the bottom of the staircase. Of all things, she didn't want this. She didn't need this. Lily hoped they would come back, and things would resolve. And she waited for nothing.

"Where are we going?" Lucky was still left in the dark, getting curious about Linka's plan now.

"South. We're going as far as we can," she replied, carrying around her duffel bag. "We need to acquire a car."

"A car? We're not getting a cab or something?"

Linka laughed a bit. "Of course not. I don't carry cash on me, and I know you don't."

"Don't make it sound like I'm a loser," the redhead squeaked.

"Ha, remind me to answer that in days from now," Linka joked.

The two sped-walked as they left the house.

"Oh, turn off your phone. Mines is off already."

Lucky was confused. "Don't we need a map?" He had his phone out, ready to turn it off.

"No, not at all. Turn it off." She was certain and serious, it almost scared him. "We might have to dispose of them, cause they're traceable."

"What? Really?" He sounded disappointed, as it was a new phone as of yet, under three months of ownership. "Ugh, okay..." The two kept walking off into the night.

 **July 9th, 2039**

The sunrise had woken them up. Linka murmured, clearly annoyed. She shielded her eyes while the sunlight shot through the windshield of the crappy gray Honda they had previously carjacked behind an alley around the rundown part of Los Angeles.

"Hey, kid, wake up," Linka croaked out. She wiped the crust away from her eyes, and slapped the driver by his leg. "It's past dawn!"

"Agh, just five more minutes, mom," he replied, still dozed off.

Linka grunted and reached into her duffel bag, taking out a bottle of water. She opened it and let Lucky have his unscheduled wake-up call. "AGH! WHAT-!" He squirmed in his seat, bumping his knees with the steering wheel. He took off his beanie and wiped his wet face. "COME ON, LINKA!"

"We gotta move, kiddo. We cross the border undected and start our new lives-"

"In Mexico? Is that really the-" He sighed, dropping the beanie easily. "It's... I think it's idiotic. Maybe, Canada, perhaps?"

Linka wheezed. "Hey, I've made up my mind. We're heading south until we can't understand what civilians are saying. I hope you learned Spanish, cause I sure didn't."

"Well, yeah, it was a class in my sophomore year, but that wasn't-" He gave in and sighed once more. "I don't like this plan, but if it means you telling me what I've been dying to know...-"

"I'll keep my word. But first, we've got to be on the other side."

Lucky was already awake enough to feel like he was able to start today's drive right now. He wired up two ripped cables that he had disconnected the sixth time or so. "Alright, then. As long as you will."

They pulled away from the empty parking lot they slept at, and Linka opened the window on her side. "Your mom... She didn't leave you, but-..." Linka accessed the memories of when Chandler made his choice to abandon baby Lucky. The unmistakable anger and pain was beginning to resurface through her. "It's not simple to understand, alright? There's alot to it."

"Oh..." Surprisingly, Lucky wasn't too distracted in the moment as he drove away. "I don't remember anything about her."

Linka bit on one of her fingernails, trying to surpress her anger and wanting to not speak further than this. She felt the cold air ravage her face. It didn't feel that cold, as she slept with only a blue jacket from Lana's closet, having liked it when she took only one glance at it.

 **February 2nd, 2027**

 _Luna Loud was taking the brat up to the higher levels of the Agency, as requested by the mysterious director, whose name had never been declassified. She had no idea what the reason was for this, until the nervous kid was placed into a hospital stroller and strapped down._

 _"What's all this about?" The reptilian-human hybrid had reason to be afraid, until it was all explained to her._

 _They were to erase some of his memories; specifically ones that included those of the mysterious female speedster with white hair; the girls who were magically levitating the kid and other objects; and finally, the kidnapping and shouting of the white-haired menace Lucky had forcibly endured. This was deemed necessary as to avoid a serious case of trauma._

 _Luna understood it and was relieved that she, nor the others, wouldn't be the ones to have to explain what was going on in his childhood, for literally everything would have had to be shared. And, let's face it, it's nothing within the norm at all._

 _She watched the stroller, with the whimpering Lucky still strapped, get rolled underneath a huge piece of equipment that appeared to look like a kid-size tunnel, only metallic and fully detailed. One of the scrawny scientists there began to dial in buttons on a square panel on the right of this tunnel-shaped machinery._

 _"Ma'am, I'm going to need you out of the room for the next half hour," the scientist assigned to the procedure had told her._

 _"L-Luna?" Lucky lost sight of his aunt from under the machine, cries getting louder._

 _Luna grew a bit uneasy, concerned that there could easily be a fuck-up. She had trouble walking out, proceeding to perform a backwards walk while scanning her eyes to the kid and staff_

 _"He will be okay, miss. I'm a professionally trained staff member. He will remember nothing horrifying once this is over, I guarantee," the lead labcoat told her._

 _She went on to share the debrief with the rest of the Louds, and Linka didn't know what exactly this signified, but she, at the time, was accepting of this necessary Agency move. And no one would actually believe that the truth would out within him. Of course, they would then go on to create a cover story, if dodging questions wasn't enough._

 **Now**

If there was ever anyone who would eventually told a demanding Lucky about everything, it would've been Lily, with no price to pay. That was due because she lived through the same scenario with Luan. It was years ago, when Luan held back heartbreaking truths of the Loud family.

Of course, she didn't plan to reveal the classified sections while going through the backstories, if it ever came to that.

Linka didn't plan to hide anything. The thing was, she felt he might have at least known what happened to dear mommy and daddy, a cycle of tormenting truths to be kept going, and then some.

Apart from suspecting Linka, no one had anything to worry about in that department, seeing it impossible that Lucky could find out what was what via the internet. Absolutely no way he could find the right information by chance or his own name.

She was already thinking about how she goaded him into coming with her, and maybe that might've been a legitimate trick, even as he would be rewarded for it

Linka closed the window after taking too much of the cold air, cheeks getting moist that her teeth was chittering, much to her notice. "I'm a bit surprised, actually..."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"You're not really eager to find out right now. I figured you'd force it out of me, or something," she sneered.

"No, I am, but I can hold off until we get to the other side. And then, you'll share over tacos, right?"

An image of Ronnie Anne came into the clone's mind. "Tacos... Yeah."

"So, uhhh, we pass San Diego and that's it, right? Jeez, it's... Really long."

"We make a last stop before reaching the border."

"Uhhh, I need you to go into specific detail, you're losing me every now and-"

"Look, we just stop around there, alright. We have to make sure we have no tail..."

"Wait, what?" Lucky applied the brakes at halfway through an empty street. "What do you mean by tail? Who would follow us?"

There was no guarantee that the Agency guys would butt out if Luna had gone and told them of this situation. Then again, there had been no contact with them for years. At least, not openly. It was always a possibility that needed not to be thrown out the window.

"I mean, I'm not saying we could be, but-" Linka pondered if this really was the case.

"What's going on? Why would you say that?"

"I..." She eyed him, stuttering nervously. "I- Well, I don't think anyone would be. I'm sorry, I guess I just had a brain fart."

Lucky was skeptical, yet used logic to see reason that a tail was not at all likely, since they've disposed of their phones before reaching Los Angeles. "It's interesting you'd say that. So... Are we still stopping?"

Linka now grew quiet. She wiped the cold fog away from the window and eyed her clear reflection in it.

Her face. Of his face. Of his blood. Of his descent. That's what she was able to see. The curse, the burdens, they carried on to the lost girl, once innocent before the maelstrom of the Loud family. She sighed with a hint of pain and sadness, to which Lucky noticed.

"What's wrong?"

She shrugged her shoulders, yawning a bit. "Just a memory... You gonna drive off?"

Lucky widened his eyes. "Ah, right! Sorry... Alright, time to go."

* * *

As he placed his foot on the gas pedal, a thud came knocking hard into their ears, and Lucky became more visibly freaked out by the instant thunder cry than Linka. He halted and set the vehicle to park. "What the-?! Something fell!"

"Something? We're not underneath shit!" Linka stared out, and reassured herself this was the case. No trees, no streetlights, nothing hovered over the shitty car when whatever fell had stopped them dead.

Linka reached for her duffel bag, pulling out a hatchet. This put the rebellious teen even more afraid. "Why do you have that?!"

"Stay here," she warned, cautiously opening the passenger door. She tip-toed out, and it didn't help her that the damn door was creaking as she pushed with her pinkie. She held the hatchet, unstained and almost in perfect condition, in front of her.

She ducked down, moved one step to the side before turning quickly and swinging the hatchet onto the roof.

It was lucky that Lupa had telekinesis, or she'd be dead. The hatchet stopped right at her face, almost close enough for a cold kiss on the tip of her nose. She was bleeding from a small stab wound on her left side. "G- urgh... Good to see you again as well, Linka!"

It took awhile for her brain to recognize this particular party crasher was an old friend. Or, rather a sister, in a sense. Linka lightly gasped and let the hatchet fall to make the only sound within the next three seconds. "L-Lupa?!"

"Quit staring and help me-" She shrieked in agony when she tried to turn. "FUCK!"

"Lucky! Get out here!"

"What?! I'm hearing another voice! Who fell?!" The teen unbuckled and burst out of the car. He met the cold, blue eyes of the fourth clone, who seemed to be reaching out a hand to him.

"Don't just stand there! Get her inside the car!" Linka barked.

He did so, lifting Lupa with both arms. He noticed the flowing of a red liquid running down the skin of his arms before setting Lupa to the back seat. "Linka, who- Who is this?! Why is she bleeding?!"

Linka got into the back to attend to her sister's wound. "Get in and let's go!"

Lucky jumped back inside and sped away from the street, forgetting to buckle in.

* * *

 **AN: Lupa Loud enters the fray, and it's a hell of entrance if I do say so myself. Oh, yeah, we're at chapter two, but this fic is over mentally for me. All that's left is to type out what's going on. Piece of cake.**


	4. Runaways, Conclusion

**July 9th, 2039**

Lupa had stabilized the flowing blood with her powers, hovering both hands over the closing wound. Her breathing had decreased dramatically, but she was still twitching and shouting painfully.

Linka's own hands were smeared with her sister's dark red blood, while trying to help her, and had wiped her hands on her once stainless orange shirt. "So, you mind telling me what the hell happened to you?"

Lupa took a deep breath and managed to groan out, "We were attacked..."

"Attacked?" Linka looked to Lucky. "Hey, put your seatbelt on!"

Lucky kept his steady driving of 50 mph on the freeway, directing away from their destination. "Where the fuck are we going?!"

"Just keep driving until you find us a motel or something!" Linka screamed back at him. "Plans changed!"

Lupa coughed, and turned to her side to see the driver. "Oh, it's him. It's Lori's brat, right?" She let out a weak laugh. "It's been so long, kid. How are you?"

The teen was reeled in by Lupa's words. "D-Do I know you?"

Lupa strained while trying to speak, but Linka kept her silent, bringing a finger down to her lips. Her eyes glowed with seriousness, and Lupa interpreted that as a "Don't talk" look.

"It's a long story, kiddo," Linka answered him. "Just focus on driving, will you?"

 **Awhile Later**

He pulled them up to a Super 8 motel a little further up the freeway. "But we're damn broke, Linka..."

Just as she realized the money issue, Lupa leaned up, and fighting through the pain, she pulled out a folded object concealed on one of her black socks. "Surprise," she announced, levitating it in front of Linka.

"What's this?" She grabbed it from the air and unfolded it to reveal three bills, each one being a hundred dollar one. "What the... Nice!" She handed them to Lucky, and immediately began to slip off of her bloodied orange shirt. She shivered as she exposed the top half of her body, save for a brown bra, due from the cold. She turned her shirt inside out and placef it bsck on.

Lucky's cheeks turned red before shielding himself. "How about a little more warning next time?"

Lupa giggled. "I bet I missed so much, right?"

"You're damn right... Lucky, go get us a room." Linka reached into her duffel bag and pulled out a red shirt for Lupa.

The Lucy clone removed her ripped sweater and shirt, replacing it with the red shirt Linka surrendered to her. "Ha. Red's not your color."

"And it's not yours either, but you don't see me complaining," Linka scoffed. Lupa dropped her clothes at her feet, sighing with dismay.

The teen exited the car and disappeared to the motel's front office.

Linka finally had the notion to hug the distant sister. "It's been years, Lupa. So, what's all this about? Who attacked you? Who am I coming after?"

"I-" Lupa scrolled her eyes away from the first clone. She looked to where her wound was, and gave it a soft touch. "I wouldn't ask you to come help me if I knew I could win. But this one, this person..."

Linka witnessed an unholy, strange face of fear forming on Lupa's face. There was also the familiar raging hatred in the glittering of her eyes. "One person?"

"She... It was a woman. I couldn't see her completely. But..." Lupa saw the town again, upon closing her eyes. Like she had witnessed, it was ablaze with such devastation, and there was nothing could do but crawl and scream. Her hands automatically tightened into fists at the mere memory of it. It happened, and there was no way to escape the horror of all the fiery images. The fires... The fear... Just like the shadows before...

"A woman? A woman attacked you?" Linka helped sit the recovering Lupa up right. "Tell me everything..."

"She destroyed everything. She destroyed G- Guhhh..." Lupa's eyes grew to a soft reddening sparkle, which motivated her to wipe any stowaway tears that were sure to be formed in front of Linka. And boy, was she good for it. "-Grimmtown."

"Grimmtown? What's-" Linka recalled of a safe haven Lupa had briefly mentioned before she ran off to this mysterious place. She hadn't gotten a name that day, and knew right away that they were one and the same. "The place where you met other phenos?"

Lupa nodded and grunted. "Mmmm. Yes, many of them. Escapees from Vial Corp facilities, and such. It's been there for years, fucking peaceful and tranquil, until-" One of her fists rose up into the air and then came falling to punch against the car seat.

"Until her," Linka pieced together. "She went and destroyed-"

Lupa kicked at the back of the driver's seat, fuming. "SHE DESTROYED IT!"

"Sis, settle down! You need some rest, alright? You've clearly been through hell..." Linka lightly touched her sister's wound. "I'll help you up."

"Rest... How can I rest, when-" She performed another kick, but did so in a weak fashion, having been mentally fatigued by her own pointless anger. "I tried my best... And it wasn't enough." Lupa succumbed into morbid silence and let her rare tears fall into a pair of lines, streaming well past her cheeks. "I failed..."

Linka slapped the crying glooming doom, which ceased her folly of tears. "Come on, we don't need that. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Lucky returned and knocked on the window. "Room 17 is ours," he said through the foggy window. "She need help?"

Linka made her way out of the car, and helped Lupa by supplying one of her shoulders for the injured girl's aid. "Let's go, Snow White."

Lupa wasn't as heavy as Linka expected, but there was still a weight to her, and Linka wanted to drag her like a body as it was genuinely no challenge.

Lucky was the first to ascend to the second floor, footsteps sounding off louder than the girls' own on the stone set of stairs. The teen still had various questions as of yet.

Who was this white haired woman? Did she know them? Was she actually a Loud relative? And...

 _She implied she met me once,_ the redhead gathered from context. _Who is she?!_

The three entered the room. Two nice twin beds with flower themed covers greeted them on their left as they came in. In between the beds was a tiny table that held a plain generic lamp, drained from color. It was as white as the moon was, when the moon was still visible. The rest of the room was too damn dull for their taste. The television set was an ancient model in the time before flatscreens, resting over a longer, taller table in which its length was more longer than the tv.

Lupa crashed onto the bed closer to the door. "Ah... Fucking finally, a nice long rest!" She happily exclaimed.

"Wait, Lupa, before you catch some sleep, you mind telling us how you found us?" Linka stood over her, waiting for an answer. Behind her, Lucky closed the door.

"What about the car? Is it wise to be around it? It'll be reported, ya know," he chimed in, scratching the back of his head underneath his beanie. "I should drop it off a block down or so."

"Save that issue when it comes," she said when facing him. "I think we have another new one right now."

Lupa closed her eyes, not bothering to get underneath the covers. "Keep it down, alright. I'd like to..." After that, she let herself finally fall unconscious.

"Lupa?" Linka had her arms crossed, and then dropped them hopelessly. She scoffed and went over to the other bed. "I'm not gonna try and wake her, then."

"Um, hellooooo?! I still have no idea this is... But she has white hair, just like yours." Lucky pointed to the fluff of Lupa's hair. "She's a Loud, right?"

"Oh, right. I guess I might as well fill you in, right? I'd have to warn you, it's... Complicated." She told him as she exited the room. "I'm not carrying your backpack, beetee dubs."

"Ah!" Lucky uttered, following after her.

The two grabbed their luggage from the trunk and left, leaving the driver's side unlocked. "Did you disconnect the wiring?" Linka asked.

"Of course, Linka," he told her. The reason behind him not addressing her as aunt Linka or by any other name was due from her own request of asking him to not do something after turning eleven. He questioned it but had grown go accept it. Linka was only a bit more harsh than Luna, so putting some fear of God into kid Lucky wasn't too hard. From that point on, nothing much happened until they initiated the chain of secretive sparring sessions.

Linka quickly went to shower, mainly because the two runaways haven't showered since they ventured away from home. She took out clean clothes from her duffel bag and hung them on the outer railing of the shower's sliding doors, and then turned on the showerhead. She undressed and entered the tub, having another comfortable dance with the hot water she enjoyed, one of only a few things she loved under the Loud roof.

Lupa had crashed their plans. Her plans. And maybe it was fate that it happened. Some sort of holy sign that she was not meant to runaway and live her life as a stranger in another country. Then, everything would be rendered pointless and she'd have to keep flying into even more uncharted territories on this plane that had been always taking her into the unexplored, unknown lands of life. The only thing was, she had grown dull and bored of it all, because there were no stops in between.

Just when she would land to finally free herself from the plane, a certain white haired individual had boarded at this would-be destination and saw to it that it would redirect, but keep going as well. The ride... Always going.

For a second, Linka was upset. She raised the hot water to a higher degree, letting her body feel the sensation of a very hot experience. She thought about it.

Lupa came to them somehow, and that was yet to be unraveled. The concerned question Linka had prioritized was what was going to happen from here on out. Would Lupa accept their plans to join them to the south? Or was Lupa here with her own agenda?

That could've been it, yes. But if that was the case, and if she came for backup or something, Linka would have to say no and just point her to the others. But...

Was it a bad thing Lupa had shown up? Did she really put a temporary dent in Linka's plans, or was it actually meant to be? She soaped her body with an itch to hurry it up. A pity she didn't pack a shampoo, for there didn't seem to be a bottle around at her disposal. "Typical..."

She emerged, wiping herself away with a violet towel, from Lily's selection, and hesitated to dry off with. "Filth," she muttered under her breath.

She came out with the locked up steam, now wearing an orange skirt and a violet shirt with a pink heart taking much space in the front. She scoffed, while putting her dirty clothes over her duffel bag. "I feel completely ridiculous in this," she groaned, pulling at Lily's shirt.

"What did you expect? You took from aunt Lily, not from aunt Luna," the redhead retorted. He had taken up the second bed and stared up into the ceiling, scrolling his eyes around almost lifelessly.

"Purple isn't my cup of tea either, especially not anything from the overlord with yellow eyes." Linka sat down by Lupa's feet, looking over her sister. "Hmmm..."

 **Hours Later**

Lupa actually rolled off the bed, and freaked out upon meeting the floor. The two beds shook and began floating inches away from the ground. "LEMY!"

Linka rose up from underneath the window panel, alarmed. "Lupa! Lupa, stop!"

Lucky was taken by surprise, eyeing sleepily around as he hovered with the bed. "W-what the hell is going on? What in-?!" He leaned to the edge and saw Lupa raising her hands, controlling both beds. "Is- Is she doing that?!"

Linka rushed to the unstable clone, grabbing her shoulders. "Lupa? Lupa, you're okay! You're among friends!" Linka looked into the latter's eyes, seeing a more revealing scene of pain in Lupa's eyes. Her eyes were leaking away harder than she had tried to earlier. "Lupa, please!"

"I couldn't find him!" She wailed. "I-"

Linka wrapped herself around the clone, soothing her calm as she rubbed her arms on Lupa's back. "It's going to be okay," she voiced with a rare sugarcoated tone that was itself a stranger to Lucky.

Lupa lowered both her hands, and the beds followed course. They came down gently, almost like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Whoa, okay, what- What just happened?" Lucky stumbled off the bed, crawling away from the two. "That shit only happens in a Stephen King novel!"

"Keep it down!" Linka wasn't having it today. She kept her grip on Lupa, then went to release it when everything grew to be a steady scene. Perhaps everything around the two was too afraid to even move. It was so perfectly still that it might've been paused. "Lupa?"

Lupa took slow breaths, recovering from her little freakout display. "I-I'm sorry..."

"No, no, it's fine. You didn't mean to, I know so. Are you okay now?" Linka helped the girl up, sitting her down onto the bed.

Lupa gave a simple nod, wiping away the waterworks. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine now," she beckoned with a degree of doubt. "I need a drink..."

"What? You do beer? Since when?" Linka looked outside the window. "And it's still early to be drinking."

"Nuh-uh," Lupa repelled. "Not beer." She licked her lips in a 360 angle, tilting her head up with a laugh Linka couldn't tell was forced or not. "My sweet, sweet, beautiful mochas."

Linka let out a girly giggle, slapping away at Lupa's shoulder. "Yeah, it's the real Lupa."

"You're damn right." She let out a sigh, throwing away her troubles for the current moment. Hopefully forever, too. Not that she was hoping so. "Enough of that, Linka. I hope you've been well..." Lupa looked to her wound, feeling it was no longer painfully irritating.

"Yeah, things are just so dandy, especially me and Lucky here-" Linka turned her face to the teen. "-having run away from the Loud house."

"What? You finally ditched them, have you?" Lupa smirked with dreading venom. "Heh, I knew you'd have some issues at home. I'm surprised you haven't done it earlier."

Linka placed a hand on her temple, rubbing harshly. "How's the wound, sister?"

Lucky basically hiccuped at the word 'sister'. He tried to speak, but only gibberish came out.

"I can move more, but the bitch is only making me want to scratch. On top of that, I loved that sweater on me." Lupa moved around her arms to stretch. "I don't suppose you have room for one more. Where were you heading off to? Mexico?" Lupa gave a hearty laugh, and then flatlined upon reading Linka's expression. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Well-" Linka commenced.

"Bad idea. Really bad idea," Lupa suggested. "Why there? Why not Alaska, or Colorado? Or Texas?"

Linka sneered, looking away. "I want far away from everything. Where I can have a new identity and life, not as a Loud anymore."

Lupa squinted, revealing her set of teeth and gritting them. "Not as a Loud anymore? What the fuck does that even mean? You can't escape who you are, or whatever you think is left. You'll always be tied to the family tree, as will I." She pointed to the underage teen. "The way he responded, he clearly didn't know about anything that happened before. What, you haven't shared anything?"

Linka scratched her arm. "It's not like that, he just doesn't remember you," she said, intending to keep the mindwiping process a secret. "He was young, you know."

Lucky's eyes kept shifting from one girl to the other. Finally, he coughed up the courage to speak. "When what happened? Linka, you- You told me you'd let me in-"

"And I agreed. Come, sit," Linka ordered.

"Wait, he doesn't know anything? Like, at all?"

Lucky sat on the empty spot by Linka. He and Lupa looked to Linka for answers. "Well?" They both asked.

And that's where storytime began for her. She, to Lucky, began to explain generally everything the year 2026 had brought onto them. Lisa's sociopathic involvement with Vial Corp; her right-hand man going and kidnapping Lily and murdering Leni, a fallen sister of the original Loud crew; the revelation of who and what Lupa and Linka really were, but having left out Liby and Lacy to spare Lupa's pain; and then the rest.

She started out with explaining how many Louds were, and the horrible event that sent them all to a much darker, life-and-death path. The path that had seen to it that they'd all return for its dastardly design.

When it came to Linka being kidnapped, and a traitorous Lori Loud, the mother who left an orphan, Lucky dwelled into his own fair share of pain.

She died in front of Lincoln and Linka alike, her last words being to take care of the young boy. The insane speedster known as Liberty Loud had fired the finishing bullet, and stripped Lucky a step further from a normal life.

And Lucky was then crying to know that mother hadn't left him behind, but rather, died for him. As for his father...

"He wasn't a fairly good guy," she explained. "He hurt innocent people. He, your mother, and..." She tugged her color, brushing her hair from her face. "My DNA donor."

"Oh... I just wish-" Lucky sniffed, processing everything. "What was my father's name?"

"Uh, it was Chandler. You have his hair, but you've got Lori's eyes, kiddo. And you take more after her than him." She didn't feel like she needed to go further into the whole Freight backstory. It was something that she knew had to stay buried forever. No questions asked.

"So... Some of my aunts are... Dead?"

She pointed upwards, and then leaned back. "That's right. Killed, is the right term here. But they died so that we can live. Aunt Luna, aunt Lana, and the others, they'll never forget that. That's why-"

At that point, there was something Linka's mind was forming; an unfamiliar viewpoint that she was growing slight uncomfortable in syncing with. She let her head droop in such a broody state.

"Linka?" Lucky tried to get a reading, having already gotten attached to find out more from her.

"If you're done with story-telling, I've got a real issue that's more serious than what you two are even trying to accomplish," Lupa hissed, voice growing to her typical mean and edgy tone. "Christ, I'd have hoped to come see all of you, not you two!" She stood up and began pacing back and forth.

"Oh, right. You didn't come here randomly. So, talk." Linka crossed her arms, giving little Black Riding Hood her attention.

"When I left you guys," Lupa explained, "I came to this pheno-only place called Grimmtown. Most of us are runaways, and stuff. It's like a rundown, dead-end town shielded by an invisible dome barrier, in a Colorado mountainside. I found you because of this." Lupa pulled out a black round object Linka recognized as a teleportation device. "It's good we've left the Black Network facilities intact. We've raided them and made an armory, which they've been lacking in before I got there."

Her mind immediately switched to the horrific, recent event. She saw the eyes. The horrible eyes of the mysterious foe who had wreaked havoc on Grimmtown. The eyes, the damn dark gray eyes with red pupils. She thought it was just a pair of red dots until she was eye to eye with the destroyer.

"Oh, that's it. That's how you found us..." Linka coughed. "So, you came to find us and, what, call for help? Is that it? You want-"

"SHE KILLED ALL MY FRIENDS! CLOSE PEOPLE! OF COURSE I WANT REVENGE!" Lupa huffed and puffed, growling with each breath she took. "WHY'D YOU RUN AWAY?!"

"Why did you teleport to my location?! And... Oh, you guys adapted the technology?" Linka raised an eyebrow, ignoring the girl's agonizing shouts.

"Yes, we've upgraded our teleportation devices to take us to specific people now. But that's not the fucking point. The timing could not be any more inconceivable." Lupa stood bothered at the fact that Linka had chosen such a bad time to play runaway, but she couldn't be fully mad.

"We're not helping you, Lupa. Go to Luna, and hope they'll help." Actually, Linka felt they'd let themselves go in the following years after the last fight they had, concerning Lincoln. Would Linka really allow Lupa to face disappointment?

Lupa scoffed harshly. "Come on, Linka. I figured an adventure would be what you wanted. You and I both know you practically live to fight. We've been literally designed to be Lisa's killing machines."

Lucky twitched as he listened on. The teen was still playing out the multiple math equations in his head. Clones. Evil corporation. Super powered individuals known as Phenomenons. His mind was not yet an open one to accept bizarre events right off the bat.

"You don't know me-"

"Don't kid yourself with that secondhand fracture material. You can't turn away from the Loud family tree!"

Linka remembered the words Lupa's mouth formed thirteen years ago, before she left to Grimmtown. "Weren't you the one who told me that we're not Louds? What was the point of that?"

Lupa stuttered to answer. "N-no, you misunderstood... You-"

Linka didn't care regardless. "Whatever, you came to the wrong person, I can't help you. Sorry to disappoint, the door is that way." She pointed to the exit.

Lupa made no hesitation to leave. As soon as she strolled to the door, she pulled the card from her sleeve and did so with a malevolent smile. "Don't you think they'll be curious as to where you are? It'd be a shame if you get caught and brought back home."

Linka gasped, face rearranging to be triggered. "You're bluffing!"

"Perhaps, but it makes a good deal. Knowledge of your whereabouts for their help. Pretty cool, no?"

"If you even do something-!"

"Face it, Linka. You still want a validated reason, motive to keep going, and staying in there was only boring you, keeping you like a tamed lion. Deep down, you are the big, bad Lincoln Loud now. No more innocence in you. I need you for this, too."

"SHUT UP!" Linka rushed and tackled Lupa, uncontrollably squeezing her hands on her opponent's throat. "I SWEAR, I'LL-"

"That's right," Lupa rasped. "You're just that, and nothing more. You turned into him, craving an endless streak of war and violence. And the life of peace drove you crazy."

Linka dug her nails into Lupa's throat, to which she laughed to. And then, like a psychological horror movie, the two began laughing together. It was almost a disturbing spectacle that didn't make sense at the moment. Linka had no idea why she was really laughing.

Lupa had seen much through her bravado, having known her enough. It was also due to them both sharing the same bloodline that drove them into the type of people they were now; dead expendables.

She withdrew her hands away from Lupa's throat, and chuckled at the sight of uneven red marks that decorated her neck. "You really know your psychobabble, don't you?"

"You do you, girly. Ugh, anyways, I guess I'd better find Luna. And don't worry, I won't-"

"They won't help, Lupes. They've avoided battles and conflicts for years, you might not believe it would be them if you'd see them today. They truly have gone soft."

"Oh... Fuck."

"I mean... I-"

And suddenly, the plane with no destination made a surprise stop when Lupa was shifting its course. "Do you really want my help? Well, I guess both of ours?"

"What is going on?" Lucky didn't know what he was getting into anymore, and that's what worried him. "We're changing plans?'

Linka held a finger up to him to silence him. "A hunt to find this enemy who attacked you?" She made it clear for Lucky to comprehend; he gulped much to her amusement. She smirked and then realized that for the first time in so long, she was finally off the plane and was now able to take control of what she wanted. No rules, no watchful eyes on her. No more defiance.

"Yeah, a hunt," Lupa answered. "Bitch's gotta pay."

Linka was nodding her head, now accepting the offer life was presenting at the terminal. "Yes, count both of us in."

* * *

 **AN: And this is how it starts. The quest to find the unknown enemy Lupa had escaped from begins here. What will happen? Will the trio find them? And what of this enemy? What is their purpose? Find out next time, on 2039!**


	5. Grimmtown, Part One

**July 10th, 2039 - Near Big Baldy Mountain, Colorado**

Lupa used her one of her remaining teleportation device and took the three a few states away from California. They landed in a closing, surrounded by trees and green shrubs and whatever else there was. Lucky and Linka had traded luggage for the new trip. His backpack wasn't too heavy for her, and neither was her duffel back for him.

"Can we get this over with? I wanna wash my main threads, man," Linka complained. "Lily's wardrobe is too girly for my taste."

The three reached a small clearing, seeing a perfect, unblocked view of the sun in the distance, high above them. "Don't worry, we'll get everything sorted out, but your prioritizing is absolute shit, little sister," Lupa returned. She pointed below to a rectangular field of vast nothingness about over three thousand feet away. "You see that?"

Linka and Lucky squinted ahead.

"That's Grimmtown," Lupa continued. She continued down into the field while Linka and Lucky exchanged weird looks to each other. Then, they slowly followed the blunt clone into the green flat plains.

"Lupa, I literally see nothing around here," Lucky commented.

Lupa formed a joyful smile, hiding it as she kept walking in front. _Yeah, he's definitely Lori's kid._

Linka surveilled the area as they kept walking. "You've been living here for the past thirteen years? How did you survive?"

Lupa stopped her fast pacing once all of a sudden. She looked to her feet and lifted one leg up. She leaned it forward, only for it to partially vanish behind some invisible curtain. "The barrier is here, you two. Come this way."

Before their eyes, Linka and Lucky gazed upon the act of the disappearing Lupa Loud. Lucky moved his hand on where Lupa was a few moments ago, and pointed with a shaky hand gesture. "Wh-where did she go?!"

Linka exhaled, gripping Lucky's backpack tighter. "She said it was an invisible shield, kid. Look there."

One of Lupa's hands popped up from behind the concealing curtain, and waved her fingers to motion the duo forward. "Come on, I haven't got all day!"

Linka walked forward again, leaving Lucky still standing, indecisive. "Come on or I'll leave you behind, Lucko."

Lupa's hand pulled back into the vanishing layer, followed by Linka completely disappearing through the wall.

Lucky just stood there in shock and awe. His eyes zigzagged around, trying to make an understanding of this spooky sorcery. "Guys? Guh-" He rose into the air, carried by some entity that he could not see.

Lupa pulled the kid to them, only using a hand to summon the closed-minded teenager. Lupa and Linka passed the metal gate entrance, which had never been closed since the attack. "That's the normal reaction I'm so used to. We house the weird here, have been for so long, that normal is practically rare," Lupa stated.

Linka glazed ahead, seeing the charred remains of what only seemed like a long, wide street. The buildings, made of concrete, had taken a darker coat of paint applied, and the grounds were decorated with ash, shattered glass, and other fallen debris Linka noticed while scavenging with her pair of nice blue eyes. "So, this is Grimmtown, huh? You've been here for over a decade?"

Lucky was set down in front of Lupa. "Uhhh...?"

"Don't piss your pants, boy. We're here, so..." Lupa took a glance around, ensuring that the assailant, or any possible menace, was nearby. She listened in the wind, shifting her head all over the area. "Keep an eye out for anything you see. And I mean it."

Linka began to move towards the remains of Grimmtown. The two rows of buildings moved to be in between her. The way they were styled felt more like something of a western film, only it was all modernized structures, regular ones like small apartment complexes. Linka approached the first building to her left, peering through the busted, tainted window.

She identified the kitchen on the right from where she stood. It was given a paint job of dark coloring, as was the whole place. Linka kicked in the door, breaking through. She wandered it, feeling it was stable enough as the place was made from a stronger element.

The stairs on the left were made of wood, the only true hazard there. Linka made three steps up, creating the creaking sound that broke the silence of the deadened environment. At the four step, her foot caved in through the plank. "Ah!"

Linka pulled it out and wiggled her foot a little before continuing. She made the remaining steps upwards carefully, testing the strength of each next step. Only four more wood planks broke away from the staircase before she reached the second floor. The whole floor looked like some sort of office, only wrecked completely by the fires. Linka carefully stepped through the floor, looking around.

She spotted two burnt corpses behind the charred desks at the end of the floor. "Jesus..." The corpses seemed to be no taller, nor bigger than her own size and height. Kids. These were kids, probably near teenage years. She pushed past the room's destruction and looked out the shattered window. She stared down at Lupa, who she herself was moving slowly through the desolate haven.

"Where is everyone?" Lucky peered in through the complex opposite of the one Linka entered. "It's so dusty, I can barely see anything!"

Lupa ignored his whines, still moving ahead in a slow manner. "Don't touch anything!"

Linka returned back down. "So, how many would there have been before all of this?" All she found was two corpses. Two, out of how many? Were all of Lupa's friends, if that was the right term, actually dead?

"Over fifty of us, that's for sure. Why?' Lupa looked to the building behind her. "D-did you-?"

Linka remained silence, proving Lupa's suspicions correct. The Lucy clone snapped into a run, levitating into the air and entering the second floor.

"What? What is it?" Lucky linked back up with Linka. "You find something?"

A bloodcurdling scream filled the air. Lucky flinched in surprise, lifting his head up to the higher floor of the complex.

"Yeah," Linka whispered darkly.

"So, telekinesis, was it? How's that even possible? H-how's all of this possible?"

"I've given you a short explanation in general. Powers of phenos were transferred here and there, and Lupa there's got it secondhand. That's all there is to it. Don't even ask me where that comes from, yeah?"

"Yeah but..." Lucky just scratched his head. "Okay."

Linka's eyes aligned to the end of the ghost town. "Huh?"

She squinted and wiped her eyes, believing they had just now deceived her with a strange sight. They weren't, as a figure was moving behind the corner of the last building on the right. "Hey!"

Lupa broke away from the sad stare-down with the pair of dead kids. The remaining glass on the windows broke away with a wave of her arms. She hovered back to the ground, dismayed at now confirming that several, maybe the majority of residents of Grimmtown might've been dead.

She caught up to the running Linka, racing along besides her. "See something?"

"Someone's watching us," Linka filled in, pointing to where she spotted the figure. "Over there."

"Circle around back, I'll flank!" Lupa raised into the air, flying overhead, disappearing to the roof.

Linka made soft steps as she reached the figure's hiding spot. She tip-toed vastly and with stealth, hugging against the wall. She stopped right before peaking, listening closely. Then, she broke silence, revealing herself.

The unknown figure, a young boy by the looks of it, jumped and ran the opposite way. Linka gave chase. She followed him inside, catching up to him fairly quickly. The boy ran past the burned living room, pushing past a blackened sofa and some fallen debris.

He bolted upstairs, jumping at every second or third step. Linka made higher jumps, but tripped at the top of the stairs. She fell and hit her chin so painfully hard on the hard floor. Maybe now she might've needed a dentist appointment. "God-!"

The boy had scattered around what Linka realized was an armory of weapons and technology, all stacked around like some replica of a large city. Green boxes, blue boxes, long and short objects of various sizes. In the back, she recognized actual rifles and shotguns all hanging in gun racks.

"Holy shit-" Linka rose slowly, only to be met with the boy, who held a shotgun taller than him. She was now able to see him more clearly. Definitely a kid who looked like a middle schooler. He had long, wavy brown hair, with a blue headband that featured a bull. His attire was composed of a blue jacket with ripped sleeves, and a white tank top underneath; dirty, ragged jeans that was overdue a great washing; black leather gloves that surely fit his design; and finally, some muddy shoes with a hint of white that implied it was the original color.

"Shut up," the kid said. "Who are you?"

Linka raised her hands up. "Easy, bucko. I'm just passing through."

The boy cocked back the shotgun, still keeping aim at her. "Lies! No one comes through here! You in cahoots with that blonde girl?!"

"Blo- What blonde girl?" Before she got any more answers from him, her cheek was forced a kiss from the firearm's barrel.

"Don't play dumb!" The trigger finger was beginning to be squeezed upon.

Lupa crashed the party, coming in just in time. She dropped in, making a mess of concrete pieces and crumbling dust, also leaving a huge hole on the ceiling.

"Huh?!" The first thing the kid did was shift his gun to Lupa. "Hey-!"

Linka rushed it when the distraction was realized. She tackled the boy, who in turn shot off a round.

Lupa halted the speed of the buckshot pellets, flickering them away. "Careful there! These rounds are a tricky nuisance!"

"Sorry!" The two of them said before eyeing each other in rising confusion.

"Linka, let go of him! I know him!" Lupa demanded.

Linka's eyes circled on the boy like a predator craving its defeated prey. She had the shotgun against his tiny throat, ready to crush the windpipes then and there. "What, you know him?"

Lupa walked up to them, and shoved Linka back forcibly. "His name's Lemy, and he lives here," Lupa filled in. She picked up the boy and then proceeded to hug him. "I thought you were dead! Where did you run off to?!"

"The woods, woman!" Lemy squirmed from Lupa's rare showing of affection. "You're embarrassing me..." He tried his best to not turn tomato red, but moved his head to coceal it.

"Jesus..." Lupa wailed visibly, "Is there anyone else?"

Behind Linka, Lucky emerged from the stairs. "Can't you guys wait for me?"

Linka scoffed, giving him a light shoulder punch. "We're not that fast. You're just a turtle."

Lucky crossed his arms, the way Lori would when someone would get on her nerves. "Whatever," he groaned out. He looked around the room, seeing the inventory of the ghost town. "Whoa... What's all of this?"

Lupa broke away from her hug. "I'm sorry I disappeared, Lem. I thought no one made it..."

"Lupa, there's only a few survivors..." Lemy's head went down as he continued. "I saw that woman's face. She was a blonde, and was killing us all left and right. Me, Leia, and a few others escaped as everything was burning. I thought- You-" His voice broke a little, but he ceased from continuing further.

Lupa scratched the back of her neck. "Jeez, kid, I was knocked out in the blasts. I tried to fight her but somehow I ended up outside the gates. But I never saw her... Except for her-"

"Her devilish, red eyes..." Lemy finished off for Lupa. "She's a monster-"

"It's alright, Lem. I brought some help, should we run into her again." Lupa raised a thumb and hurled it behind her. "Lem, that's the girl I told you about."

"You mean the first clone?" Lemy asked.

Lucky made a face of disgust. "Unbelievable! Even a child's been told- Bahhh!" He gave up, fuming a bit.

"Ah, so you've told him about me, I see," Linka cut in. "Didn't take _you_ for a story-teller, Lupa."

"I had to share my origin, it's how I gained everyone's trust."

Lemy walked up to Linka, holding a hand out. "It's... What was it, Licka?"

Linka took his hand, gripped tightly and shook with enough force to rip Lemy's arm out. "It's Linka, kid. Linka Loud."

"Owwie..." Lemy squeaked, quickly retracting his hand. "And who is that?"

"Our nephew, kiddo," Lupa told him. "Enough Q and A, Lemy. I'm here now, so take me to the others."

"Yeah, yeah! Also, we've been moving our armory to the camp we've set up in the woods. We've been living there after this." He picked up the shotgun and pointed to one of the stacks of crates. "You mind helping me out? Lucky for us she assumed we had only one armory. The second one is destroyed. We've lost it all there, especially the laser cannons."

"Damn it..."

"Wait, where did you run off to? How'd you get away?"

"Before I was fighting her, and when the fires started, I ran here and grabbed some teleporters so that we could escape. She caught me and that's how everything else happened. I tried to find you, and I... I didn't find anyone at all... But she was there. She was still there, and she almost got me."

 _Lupa was receiving quite a choking sensation from her subduer. The fiend laughed so devilishly, that Lupa couldn't tell if this was how they laughed or if they were just so glad to hurt the latter. Lupa struggled to break the maniac's hands away from her._

 _"It's no use! When I kill you, the unsuspecting Louds will be next! And I will be the superior-"_

 _Lupa dove a hand underneath the villain's own, and made an air shove that sent her to unlock herself from Lupa. "Ut!" Lupa watched the fiend fly backwards, and making a hard thud in the process. She immediately took out a teleporter as the enemy got up before Lupa's eyes._

"She was a fast moving whore. It was thanks to lady luck that I got away almost clean... I can't remember anything about her, even though she was right in my face. I don't think I could ever forget those eyes. Ugh! Why the hell?!" Lupa kicked at some crates, breaking a few of them in.

"She was actually moving around fast, and I can't explain it. Maybe, she was a pheno?" Lemy pondered.

Lupa wondered the possible fact. "She sounds like one, but it wasn't just any random one. She said the Louds will die, after everyone here was dead. Fast moving... Who have we encountered someone like that? Someone who was blonde?"

It hit Linka like a brick. "T- that girl, uh, what was her name? Ah, Riley, or Liberty, whatever." Linka drifted to the memories further. "But wait, I-"

Lupa then groaned. "She's dead, that's right."

"Wait, how do you know this Liberty chick's dead?" Lucky asked.

Linka gave a silent "oof" and had an awkward moment as Lupa tip-toed to whisper in his ear. His eyes widened, mouth going agape. "Jesus, that's hardcore!" Lucky blurted out. His view of Linka had now changed. "Oh, God, uhh... You're getting really scary by the minute, Linka."

Lupa found herself laughing at Lucky's nervousness of Liberty's murderer. "Dropped the ball on that. So, safe to assume it's someone else. But who? The only other blonde speedster we know is-"

Linka made a pointing gesture after snapping her fingers. "Lana!"

Lucky and Lemy were moving their heads back and forth between the two clones.

"Yeah, Lana. Only me and Lemy will be able to tell when we see her. It's been years since I've last seen the tomboy."

"It'll take days for us to get back home," Linka suggested. "Plus, Lana doesn't have any red eyes."

"Oh! That reminds me!" Lemy pulled out two teleportation devices, and showed it to the two girls. "I had a bunch before the attack. For... Other purposes." He handed them to Lupa. "So, you brought these two to help us? Is that right?"

"That's it, Lem. Well, I was looking to get others, but this is what God gives me instead. When did I become a sinner?"

Linka growled grimly at her. "Hey, I didn't count on you to intervene with my own schedule!"

"And I didn't need you to run away like a coward! Even though you say the others can't help us, I'd rather take that than what I have now. We need Luna! We need Lynn! You're-"

Linka stepped back, bottom lip barely quivering. "I-"

Was Linka necessary? Were she and Lucky sufficient for this hunt? Lupa was sure back then. Sure that they could be of help, but up until now. Until it was believed the new foe was powerful just as Luna, or Lynn, etc.

"Even with the passed-on super genes, is it really enough to even go head to head with Lana, assuming it's really her?"

"B-but you have telekinesis, that's our advantage! I thought you wanted our help! You said you did!" Linka countered. "What about all of the others? Lemy, can't we all rally the others and teamwork?"

Lemy shook his head. "Our best phenos were killed fighting our intruder. We're the weaker ones, and Lupa was considered in between."

"And I barely escaped the clutches of our mystery villain," Lupa chimed in. "I know I said I wanted you two to help, but I'm seeing that perhaps-"

And Linka was fairly disgusted by Lupa's lack of faith. She had enough and slapped the depressing goth clone hard. The sound of her cheek being smacked was almost like a firecracker going off. Lemy gasped, fully shocked.

"Get it together! We'll never know if we can win if we don't try! Not long ago, you were convinced we could go on this quest and hunt this witch down! Where's that Lupa at?!"

Lupa rubbed her cheek slowly, only staring at Linka without any clear, visible emotion. "I did. I did say that, didn't I? I'm sorry, i just...-" Lupa was battered mentally, believing she had failed Lemy and the rest of Grimmtown. "I didn't try enough... I'm sorry."

"Lupa..." Lemy whispered.

"Turn it into something useful, sister. We will find her, and we will succeed." Linka pointed back down. "Alright, kid, take us to the camp. Let's see what the others got."

* * *

 **AN: Essential to know they both have the fractured darkness from Lincoln. It also doesn't help Lupa that Lucy's moodiness resides within her. So, there'll be some general depressing moments from her, especially if Liby and Lacy return to her thoughts.**

 **But what will happen? Is the villain Lana? Is it a familiar face, even, or a new face? What's going to happen? Next time, on 2039!**


	6. Grimmtown, Part Two

**July 10th, 2039**

A circle of four tan colored tents were arranged in a circular shape. A fifth one was centered in the middle of the four. The encampment consisted of the Grimmtown survivors, six in total, including Lupa. All of them no older than fourteen. Kids. They were concealed so perfectly around the woods a few miles away from the deadened safe haven.

Linka and company reached the camp only to be greeted by the other four kids, with two of them holding long, thick tree branches, carved up barely perfect enough to be used as hunting spears.

The kids consisted of Leia, the only blonde of the group, a ten year old who had a similar personality to that of Lupa's own, in which she secretly fancied of the brat. Her only power was the ability to fly, often mocked by Lupa. Ironically, she had a fear of heights, so she wouldn't fly far from the ground. Her attire was similar to a schoolgirl's dress code, that being a dark blue skirt and a gray sweater that covered most of her maroon colored shirt.

Tabby, the oldest one of the lot, was the age of thirteen. Just like teenage Luna, she enjoyed rock, attained intermediate experience with the average guitar. Her own ability was light projection, or, she was able to shoot beams from her body and able to act as a flash grenade. She had a leather jacket that would sometimes be a nuisance when she moved her arms in a particular pose. Fortunately, her skinny black jeans didn't give her a hard time.

The two kids who held the make-due spears were the Fairchild kids; Emily Fairchild, the older of the duo, was a twelve year old brunette, taller than Tabby by inches. She had some dirty overalls, a mixture of tan and pink with a yellow flower on her chest. Her brother, nine year old Michael Fairchild, was the shortest and youngest among the survivors. They both attained the same power; mind reading and insertion, able to plant specific ideas and command.

Lemy, as Linka had already met, was twelve, and his gift was invisibility. Unfortunately, he couldn't render his clothes invisible when he would do so, otherwise he could've escaped Linka effortlessly.

All of them happened to be second generation phenos.

"You bunch might as well be auditioning for another Lord of the Flies remake," Linka joked. "This is basically cute."

The two groups lined up sideways, as if there was going to be a fight.

When Lupa made her presence known, the Fairchilds set their spears to their sides, naturally surprised to see her again. Tabby threw a fist in the air, letting out an enthusiastic cry in a British accent.

Leia kept her serious face on, and walked up to Lupa. The pig-tailed girl swung her hand right to Lupa's face, slapping her hard that Lemy flinched at the sound of the meaty flesh being smacked. It stung most definitely, but the white-haired clone embraced it with a smile. "It's nice to see you again," Lupa began. "Now fly away, Woodstock."

"Where the fuck were you?!" At this point, Leia could have grabbed Lupa by her shirt and pulled her down to size. And that, she tried.

"Heh," Lupa pressed a hand to Leia's chest, and the girl began to float off as if gravity was switched off. "Do you wanna float?"

"Hey, cut it out! Seriously, you know how much I'm afraid of heights!" Leia held onto Lupa's shirt frantically. "Lupa fucking Loud, don't you fucking dare!"

"Let go first, and then I will," Lupa offered as compromise.

"Nngh!" Leia reluctantly agreed. She let go of Lupa's shirt and stumbled back down to ground level. "You're such a bitch!"

"Just tell me you're glad I'm back, and I'll leave you alone for like two minutes," Lupa chuckled.

Leia jerked her head away from Lupa and crossed her arms, taking steps away from her.

Lemy just scratched the back of his head, nervously chuckling. "They're usually like this. Frenemies, you know?"

Linka wasn't here to spectate bullshit rivalry. "Hurry it up, pipsqueaks, I haven't got all day."

"Don't get your under garments in a bunch. What's the stat on food supply?"

Leia raised a hand, turned around and pointed to the center tent. "We have enough for a week and a half, maybe two. Most of it are canned crap. Beans, chili, whatever. Perishables went first, but I can't eat another banana anymore." She lightly patted on her stomach, groaning painfully. "I can't shit right anymore."

"...Thanks for that image," Lupa shrugged. "It's nice to see you made it, although..." She wished there were others as well. It all came down to these five now, the final batch of phenos. The weaker, fragile ones. They survived this long, without any adult or teenage supervision. Sure, they knew how to survive out here, but this second nature could only go so far. Lupa was concerned for them, with being all alone here. And especially now that they were no longer concealed in their domain. Lupa had an idea. "Hey-"

"No," Linka answered.

"These may be phenos, but they're kids," Lupa persuaded. "We can't leave them here."

"We're not babysitters, Lupa. We can take them, to drop them off at an orphanage or something."

Lemy gagged as Leia turned red with anger. "You are not putting us in a confinement home!"

"Bloody hell, mate. We'd be the strange ones if that were to be!" Tabby blurted out.

 _They should have died..._ Linka thought. The Fairchild kids gasped when they heard the echo of the thought pierce through their minds. The boy whimpered and broke into tears, confusing Linka.

"What's wrong with the boy?" She asked curiously.

Lupa slapped her on the side of her head. "They're mind readers. Be careful about what you say mentally."

Linka looked down with guilt and rubbed her arm. "I didn't know..." She sighed and calmed a bit. "I guess maybe... We'll take these bunch to the others, and since we have to go back, it's only fair we try and persuade them to let these kids crash or something. I'm not sure this'll be the case."

Lupa smiled and nodded. "I hope Luna's still got a bleeding heart."

"Don't bet on it, sister. Oh, where are my manners?" Linka waved to the kids. "Hi, adolescents. Name's Linka, related to Lupa here, and this dude at my side-" Linka pointed her thumb to Lucky's direction. "-Would also be a relative of Lupa's."

"Great, more sass," Leia squeaked.

"Bloody nice to meet ya, mate!" Tabby shook Linka's hand fiercely and with such enthusiasm. "I'm-"

"Hold that thought. I'd like a thorough history of this place, and how detection was avoided from the big ones. The goddamn Agency, they could've at least heard rumors of this place."

"Not a likely possibility, or they would've come. Sure, we use technology in the name of Grimmtown, but never outside of it. We've been safe for years, why start now? Are you suggesting something else now?"

"Lana, if it's her, knows about this place. _Someone_ does, in general. And the context I've gotten is that there isn't any speedster at all in this safe haven. Is that right?"

Lupa was amazed that Linka had narrowed it down this much. "No, we don't have supers like that. Our new enemy wasn't familiar to me, but then again, none of the other Louds could be recognizable, I suspect. Don't you have any photos of them on your phone or something?"

"I threw it away on the way to San Diego," Linka confessed with no regret.

Lupa facepalmed, defeated. "Geez, you find new ways to complicate things, don't you?

"Hey, we've agreed to head back home, did we not?"

As they argued, the others looked on, the kids being confused with the lack of context. "Uhhh, I'm just going back to my tent..." Leia announced on the side, and retreated from family matters. She disappeared inside the center tent.

"Yeah... I guess so..." Lupa could not help but be a little lost.

The chance that it turned out to be Lana was a 50/50 one, and even then, the logical thinking and brainstorming could not enable her to draw sense from this. If it really was Lana, what was the reason she sped here just to fuck with Lupa? To hurt her and try to kill her?

The thing, the heartless monster had foggy, gray eyes, with red pupils. Was this Lana, or something else they had yet to uncover?

"Lupa?" Linka sensed that Lupa was also trying her hardest to make sense of the current situation. "We really don't know for sure until you see her face-to-face. But, she had no such eyes as you described, just so you know."

The only fact that made Lupa unsure was this. Linka said it, so it must be so. "We'll find out soon enough. So, what's the plan? When are we heading back?"

Linka studied Lupa's not-so-secretly-eager-to-leave face and then eyed the other kidw of Grimmtown. "We're in no rush to get the hell outta dodge. I'm down with staying the night here, so be ready to rearrange your beds, and I hope you campers have marshmallows and enough wood for a campfire tonight."

 **Night**

The way the two groups arranged who was sleeping where was simple enough, even as Leia was bitching about being reluctant to share her middle tent. She managed to keep it, mainly because Lupa wasn't one to desire her high-pitched whining. Lupa was bunking in with Lemy, with the latter being very close, noticed clearly by Linka. One of the Fairchild kids, Michael, gave Linka his tent for her and Lucky to take. She thanked him with a gentle head patting, and unpacked from her duffel bag.

Lucky's attention was seized, and with the unsettling curiosity that spiked in him after Linka used her hatchet on Lupa, he glazed over Linka's shoulder and took a peek at whatever else she, an actual murderer, had brought with them.

Sure, the teen had questions, but the knowledge he currently obtained and stored proved to be unconventional in nature; he dare not ask further to avoid going in possible circles.

Here they all were, set in an imperfect circle, huddled around a toasty, blazing campfire. It was mostly a quiet, tranquil activity, amidst the noises nearby nocturnal creatures sang in the dark. Tabby wished her acoustic guitar had not been lost in the attack, despite her playing having grown weary for the others, and were relieved by this fact.

Lupa was currently explaining her wound tnat she received and endured. "I tell you, it hurt so damn much, but healing's fine."

Lemy's worried expression when seeing the big, red gap furthered Linka's thought of them being close enough to be siblings to any outsider coming across them.

"Still, I can't believe you made it, I really thought-" Lemy's tone reverted to an unsteady, shaky one. Lupa was already the expert in knowing and undertanding the latter's troubles, with having known him for most of his life.

"Hey, none of that, now..." Lupa reeled him in for a deep, loving hug. "You should know I'm damn near invincible to be killed by some goddamn bitch." She snickered triumphantly, which made Lemy smile wide with some degree of glee. Lupa then ran a set of knuckles through his hair, rubbing them back and forth. "If I died, who would be around to keep messing with Leia there?"

Leia formed a fist and waved it to Lupa's direction. "Hey, I get enough headaches watching over these guys, you mocha loving albino!"

Linka coughed intentionally, making Leia stutter in instant regret. "We're not albino-haired, shrimp. It's just..." But Lupa and Linka had no real clue how Lincoln's hair color came to be, and to this day, it remained a mystery. "We are that cold."

Lupa, Lucky and Lemy all chuckled under their breath, as Leia tried to arrange quick words. All the blonde girl did was raise her hands quickly, shake them a bit and lower them in utter embarrassment.

"Anyways, if the fun is done..." Linka grabbed a thin branch from the ground and stood up close tp the fire. "I'm gonna debrief you group of boogers. Listen, and listen well!"

To each of them, Linka pointed the stick with a mean and lean face set. Leia and Lemy exchanged weird looks and then looked towards Lupa, aroused with the same pair of questions.

"As far as we know, the baddie we're looking for happens to be a blonde-haired female with apparent red eyes, with possible speed abilities," Linka continued. She looked to Lupa, who in turn nodded once. "It should be critical to know that I, or rather, _two_ of us here know someone who fits this profile in general. The plan isn't much, but the general idea is to find your suspect and verify immediately."

"Oooh, you know who did this to us?!" Leia pointed to Linka with seething anger. "How about you tell us the name and address and we'll take it from here! It's our justice, not yours! I don't even know you!"

The fire kept cackling away, throwing up embers into the night. The little bitch was preaching about who deserved what. Sure, perhaps it wasn't directly a personal Linka conflict for her to battle, but Lupa had been targeted, and by the sound of things, the other Louds, including Linka and Lucky, were in danger from this unknown foe. "No, but I have experience against phenos. You're how old, again?"

"Take it down a notch," Lupa cut in. "Leia, for the love of God, take a chill pill." Lupa locked onto the fire and blinked, making the campfire combust nearly dangerously, flames stretching out to kiss Linka and Leia. She turned to her sister with a compromise.

"I'm going to slap you one of these days, Poopa!" Leia insulted.

"You can try," Lupa threw back, still facing Linka. "I'm thinking we take these kids with us."

"W-wait, what?" Lemy was opposed to this. "We can't leave here! We live here! We can't leave Grimmtown!"

"Laddie, nothing remains of our home," Tabby smoothed out, placing a calm hand on Lemy's shoulder. "It might be good for us to go with them. We're gonna run out of supplies eventually."

Leia lifted a finger at Lupa and waved it. "Hate to say it, but I'm onboard with this. We've been lucky to have lasted as long as we did in these dang woods. Using leaves as toilet paper makes my butt itch!"

"You, all of you kiddies, are now under my charge," Lupa stated. "And as the oldest of the Grimmtown folk, it becomes effective immediately."

Surprisingly, every one of the kids accepted their new leader. Even Leia didn't object to the change of leadership, despite liking the role of being in charge of the lot. "Well, it's about time! I don't need to hear some of your dang whines every so often."

"So, Linka, how about it?" Lupa still awaited her clone sibling's answer. Hopefully, the first clone said-

"Yes, I guess so. You're in charge of them the whole way, not me." Linka had no intention to extend her babysitting position past Lucky. It benefited Lupa more as she knew them well enough, and Linka was already silently calling Leia a grouchy troll under her breath. "I don't know the time, but it feels late. Don't you brats have a curfew or something?"

The Fairchild kids were begnning to show symptoms of sleepiness, starting with yawning. They started the chain, waving goodnight to the group peacefully. Tabby threw a peace sign and followed the lead immediately. Leia took her sweet ass time to bother getting up, still sulking a tad about her personal vendetta.

"Go, get some sleep, Lem. I'm sure you've worn yourself out these past days," Lupa insisted. Again, she brushed him close to her and hugged him.

Linka was sure that Lupa was now playing big sister or something equal to the kid. She couldn't help but smile with satisfactory. Lupa let him on his way for a nice sleep, and in the second she heard the ruffling of sheets, Lupa moved and sat across from the two runaways. The toasty campfire kept doing its job of keeping Lupa nice and warm with the generic red shirt she had. She rubbed her hands for additional heat.

"I never would have thought all this would happen so fast. Nor that I'd ever see you again," Linka confessed. "You know, if it doesn't turn out to be Lana, what's next?"

The hypothetical questions began here. Lupa looked above her, into the coat of pitch black, past the trees above the fire's range of brightness would reach its max to. "It can't be a dead end, it can't."

"But Lana-" Linka was mixed about even believing the tomboy was somehow causing ruckus behind the Louds. Yes, her speed abilities have remained throughout the years, but after Lola's death, Lana had never dared to use her quirk again. "She took a silent vow to never run again. The thing with Lola really broke her to this magnitude. I'm just saying, it doesn't feel too damn easy."

Lupa raised her shoulders, ignorant of Linka's words. "Well, that's what you say. Coming to check it out for myself regardless. I mean, what have we all got to lose?"

"If it's Lana..." Linka brought Lupa back to reality with the next words. "You'll be denied a kill. She'll be placed in her own little cold cell. Lynn will see to that herself, she's been working with them willingly. She's the only one who still puts herself in danger..."

The way Linka stated that, it felt like she was almost jealous of Lynn. Or at the very least, Lupa assumed that Linka wished she, too, was alongside the brunette, taking up assignments galore.

The Lucy clone's fists formed when she had now begun to consider that. "Fucking hell, that's right. Why didn't I think about that? Damn Lynn, damn Luna, damn their peaceful, merciful ideals. I don't want law and order here, I just want our blondie to perish." She clenched her fists harder, with even the sound of them tightening. The aura of Lupa's hatred intensified so much that the fire could be fuel for an eternal lifespan. "If it comes to a fight between them and us, I won't hold back, and neither should you."

Lucky hiccuped in awe, perceiving Lupa as having made a promised declaration of war against his aunts.

"Don't expect me to do such a thing," Linka peeped. "I'll do what I can to help you." She looked around the place, scoping and listening in closely. It was Lincoln's own instinct that called her to check around, her genetically passed down second nature. "Tomorrow, I'm guessing. Jeez, last thing I want to hear is everyone bitching at us about leaving like that."

"Ha, I can see Luna's shouting already. Does she still smell lile foul shit? Ah, don't answer that. I'll find out tomorrow. It'll be memorable, that's for sure." Lupa leaned back unevenly on the log she sat on. Her back gained some bad composure but she wasn't one to complain. "Tomorrow, we'll likely be...-" She looked up, to the dark cloak. All that was missing in this calm, lovely night was the moon.

* * *

 **AN: Coming up on 2039; An unholy reunion, alliance, and setback! Before that, a quick flashback from Lupa's perspective! Be late, do your do's, and have some vanilla ice cream, it's gonna get colder. Sync with the mood.**


	7. Grimmtown, Conclusion

**July 10th, 2039 - Night**

Lucky's turn to crash for the night came when he simply became too fatigue while the two girls kept their chatting in the night. He simply stumbled forward, almost like a shot corpse, and hit the dirt. His body went sideways, with half his face getting smooched by dirt.

"Please tell me he doesn't snore or fart like mommy dearest," Lupa retorted, placing two fingers between her nostrils, ready for a case of consistent flatulence.

"No, not at all, actually. I'm thankful there's no gas problem with the brat, but he's like any normal teenager, you know." Linka abandoned her spot and picked up the sleepy redhead. She carried him as she returned back to her nice, butt-warm log and laid his head down on her lap. "He's been too curious to know of Lori's and Chandler's reason for leaving him. No one planned to tell him the truth. They promised him lies when he would turn eighteen."

"Ha, and you did a good job at spilling the beans. He shouldn't be kept away from shit like that." Lupa began to move the sticks from inside the bright fire.

"It was policy from the damn guys from the Agency, from wherever they're living at now. We have to live with blindfolds and socks in our mouths, or we'll be imprisoned or some shit. Telling him now, it might not have been smart, but who's he gonna tell? I don't know, he was crying earlier, but-"

"Aw, big aunt Linka worried about widdle Wucky." Lupa raised her hands to her eyes and mocked some crying. "Boo-hoo!" She rubbed her eyes and broke off some dark chuckles.

"No, fuck off, you. Anyways, no, I'm not remotely concerned about myself. But, you're right. They should have told him the truth. What I did, I stand by, even if its painful to him. I just..." This was mainly why she left. And she remembered how much she hated the way things were run. "Ugh! Stupids!"

"No, it's not them being stupid. They see things differently than us, that's what it is. That's what it's always been." Lupa looked to the tents. "They don't know that I've done the same here. I've looked out for kids here. I've helped Grimmtown advance and flourish, and they'll never know. They just keep in mind that we're of the same tainted blood and nothing more. We're just bloodthirsty inhumans to them."

"Uh, are you lecturing me?"

It might've been the Lucy part of Lupa's personality that took over her verbally. It wasn't so much a lecture, but rather some abstract thinking that could only be created away from the light. Lupa had more or less forgotten about being part Lucy, for she felt that there was more of Lincoln within her. "No, it's... I don't know, sorry," Lupa scratched her head.

"So, Grimmtown? All these years, Lupa?" Now was a good time as any to catch up on the missed years.

"You didn't think I was dead, did you? We're tough, we don't die easily."

 **December 6th, 2026**

 _The trails were very narrow, and the whispers were but too few to gather a real lead. Lupa kept running and flying as far away as she could from the place her two beloved clone sisters had fallen. She decided enough was enough, and had lashed out on Luna and company for failing to stop Lincoln._

 _It was Lynn, Lynn was the real intervening force here. Lynn was the one who fucked up so hard, and Lupa had the maddening mind to take her life. All she was letting in was rage. She let herself try to attack Luna, who was trying to use words to cease and desist Lupa. What happened was Lupa_ _ended up flying on her back real hard, from a swing of Luna's overpowering tail. After that, the running began._

 _She was alone, sitting on the edge of a multi-level parking garage. Carn horns, faint chattering and foosteps from the street levels hadn't allowed her the peace she desired. On a loop, her mind only kept flashing back to the only two people she found to have secretly, truly care for, moreso than their originals. She was angry, she was hurt. Maybe if she stepped off without trying to live, then it could be over, couldn't it?_

 _From behind, someone managed to get the drop on her. Lupa was caught off-guard, and aimed quickly for an attack. "Who the hell are you?"_

 _The sneak, looking like an emo chick, revealed themselves as another pheno, and proved their authenticity by transforming into a completely different person. This time, Lupa was seeing Brad Pitt standing right in front of her, and she couldn't really take this ability seriously._

 _"You from Grimmtown?"_

 _"C-can you switch? He's not my favorite actor," Lupa said crossly. What she got instead was another Lupa, smiling like a psycho. "Wow, my thighs are thick. Okay, I believe you. So, what's this Grimmtown place?"_

 **December 7th, 2026 - June 16th, 2037**

 _Linka was offered the same chance Lupa received, but decided to remain put for reasons Lupa didn't understand. She believed Linka had a place in life to be something different than be simply a member of the Loud family tree. Lupa wanted out to let go of the darkness that could have grown if she, too, remained in the fractured family. Even to the clone of the goth, it was unbearable for her to handle. A new life awaited her, and that was exactly what she was gonna pave the way for. And it had already been kickstarted._

 _She returned back to the safe haven, with a nice landing, gaining help from her invisible parachute. Greeted by countless phenos, and with no hostility in play, she smiled widely and simply waved at the common folk of Grimmtown. She was close to Lemy's parents in the time she spent there._

 _She noted some facts between them and two specific Loud siblings that could've been something more, but maybe it was just too damn coincidental in her case. After all, life was always surprising and mind-fucking her to the point she wouldn't be shocked if one day it started raining literal cats and dogs._

 _The place she currently called home was a room in the third floor of the fifth building on the left, or Block One, as it was labeled. The place, at the time, was experiencing a great too many issues. Low food and supplies, paranoia of lack of concealment from the outside world, and the expanding number of phenos that would come crawling from danger here. Lupa had the security problem figured out._

 _She and a group of strong phenos went against the rules and established law of Grimmtown to raid a defunct Black Network site, taking up all weapons, technology and whatever else they could get their hands on. This took many days to accomplish, but Lupa and the group of phenos succeeded in bringing back an entire armory. The majority of all residents praised her for this act alone._

 _It was the founder of the place who gave her a hard time. Yes, Manuel Grimm, the one who led the first fifteen phenos and created this haven, was going off on her for endangering the lives of herself and the phenos who joined her, as well as putting the town at risk of exposure._

 _Lupa found it annoying, and it felt so much like the way Luna would berate and punish whoever was fucking up in whatever time. And that meant Lincoln, most of the time. "Sorry, but what are you even doing in this shithole? You're supposed to be on all these current issues. You're not doing your fucking job, and you're shouting at me for solving our security problem?!"_

 _"Young lady, I don't think you understand the seriousness of your actions." Grimm himself, a short, middle-aged man with serious political views and possibly born to some serious people, had no room for insubordination or defiance, so he decided to ban the white-haired girl who had trouble, and some disturbing chills wherever she went, instantly. "I want you out immediately. You, and whatever belongings you've come here with."_

 _And Lupa was almost out of there. She was speedwalking out of his untidy office-house, or whatever its proper term was, not that it mattered to Lupa. She was halfway out of the safe haven, when three lightly tanned girls came running to her. "Hey, you! Stop!"_

 _Lupa did so, but she didn't bother turning around. She was surrounded by the trio, almost developing claustrophobia. "Yes, what?"_

 _A cluster of questions overwhelmed her in less than a second. "What you did, it was amazing! How did you know where exactly to go?" Lupa tried to break free of the girls. "Do you happen to be related to this pheno we've heard about in a news update from a New York city incident?" She became bombarded with questions until one of them made a profound realization of Lupa. "Hey, her hair- It's white! Just like-"_

 _It seemed that Lincoln Loud's legacy had extended its reach, revealed to Lupa slowly. "Yeah, I know who you mean. Related, such a strong word. In a sense, I'm his sister."_

 _The shortest girl of the lot went half fangirl mode, yelping enthusiastically. "Oh, my gosh! So, what was that all about? All we've heard was him going on some rampage. And then reports of a similar individual wreaking havoc in San Francisco."_

 _Lupa placed her hands onto her hips, all sassed up. "What are you, reporters? I'm not in the mood for an interview." She leaned her head close, forming a serious face. The three girls were pushed back from the force of Lupa's magnetic stare. She pointed to her left. "Out of my way, ladies. I've just gotten myself kicked out of this low budget institute."_

 _"Uh, no," the tallest of the girls had a great surprise for Lupa. "I know our dad can be stubborn, but we, too, hold some degree of power here. And we say you've done good by us, so you don't have to leave."_

 _"Oh, you three are Grimm's daughters? Isn't that something?" She found herself giggling at this. "Well, thanks for that. I guess I'll be going back to my room."_

 _"Wait, wait a second, we still have questions. You now owe us, so you might as well just do a Q and A."_

 _Lupa groaned with resilience, fuming that she was actually in debt to them- And she definitely had to pay them back somehow. For this reason, she actually respected them a little. "You're good, you're real good." Lupa faced back to her abode, still having to get accommodated to it. Slowly, she strutted away from the three. She didn't have to look back to know they were simply standing in place. "Don't just stand there, come on. And bring anyone else who's curious about this, cause I'll never repeat my life fucking story."_

 _It took a half hour for her room to get overcrowded. She was just about to begin to go into her long explanation, which meant sharing much of the Loud history, starting at the fire and everything that followed after. They'd probably be shocked at knowing she was related to the true villain who made Grimmtown possible to begin with; Lisa Loud._

 _Few too many people had filled up the room, that Lupa thought it best to take it outside. "Back the hell up! Not enough space here!"_

 _Over half of the town's population had gathered, adding to the crowd of Lupa's listeners. She was feeling the urge to sweat intensely, as it felt like she was due to give an oral speech in class. The million eyes on her, making her shake a little, but were also egging her to try her best in keeping steady. "So, I'm guessing you all know who ran Vial?"_

 _A cluster of angry shouts and remarks followed pursuit. Like she initially believed, a majority of the townsfolk had seen the white and transparent glass cells of various Vial Corp facilities before the Louds came to topple the mighty brainiac's long-running empire. That same blood was running through her veins, and it was there that Lupa worried what they would do to her if that was known to them. "I knew this group of people, these phenos," she slowly began, going about it with a soft, fearful tone, "And they went and faced Vial directly. It was like a war, I guess. I was with them when I was freed from my own... Cell."_

 _"So, you are also a victim of Vial?" One voice from the group asked._

 _"I'm... I was made to be more like a weapon. You see, I'm a clone of-" She was interrupted by some gasps and faint murmurs from the crowd. "I'm not done yet! Ugh, okay. So, these guys are the real deal. They dismantled it all, and what not. They saved you, if you happened to be victim to those scum."_

 _"So, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with them?"_

 _"It's complicated... Domestically complicated. And all phenos are now officially dangerous by the voice of our beloved government is not going to help me at all, if I decide to go back. The other ones, they're safe, I know they are. My- I had two great sisters, and they died. They died for nothing. I'll make damn sure that's not gonna be me!" Lupa performed great, to avoid any further, and unneeded questions. It didn't need to be known what the relationships were. It was irrelevant, most of it. Maybe all of it. The heroes of Grimmtown were dead, even if they weren't in literal sense. Maybe Lupa should have said she only saw them once, a fake story conceived, which would suggest that she was taken by them as the others have been. Too late for that._

 _Maybe she might go into detail one day. Maybe she will. Who knew?_

 _Liby and Lacy, mentioned again. She hit a nerve there, and sat alone in her room again. The bed under her ass was just getting comfortable. The rest of the room felt more like a foreign cell. The walls were stained with some unknown substance, Lupa felt it might've been oil or sewage. She wondered what the story was with it. It definitely wasn't giving off any bad odor, that was for sure. The place where the door should have been, was only a dark red curtain hanging down. It was horrible, as Lupa preferred a locked room if she ever occupied. But it was a pro, for if anyone was coming in, she could see the bottom of the curtain for a pair of shoes incoming. Apart from those two irksome cons, the room was good, in the generic sense._

 _Over the years, she spent her time helping reconstructing and applying renovations to the town. From the technology they raided in the Black Network bases, an barrier was put up, which coated a layer of nothing but an empty field, as if there truly was nothing. The armory had also added new futuristic weaponry, so advanced that Lupa could joke that the new toys came from a Call of Duty game._

 _Laser guns, huge enough that it required two scrawnies, or a Stallone, to wield; boxes of teleporters, grenades, and some other round gadget that was later revealed to be force field shields; and among more guns, like explosive sniper rifles and body armor, thicker than Kevlar, were the start of the new arsenal, added to the many handguns, rifles and melee weapons they had already._

 _The first time she met Lemy, through his father, was around his infant years, One baby out of fifteen or so at the time. The memories with Lily she was created with had helped her take care of the toddler when Pat, the tyke's father, was off training with other strong phenos in combat and other defensive sessions. She enjoyed the little guy, and softened up to him._

 _It was slow, but in time, Lupa found herself trusting a fair group of people within the town. The group consisted of six people, with Pat included. She didn't know it immediately, but there was a spark slowly burning within her heart._

 _Once, Lemy fell asleep on her lap, rendering Lupaimmobile for the sake of her legs. Her hand automatically moved to his head and she rubbed his head in such a motherly fashion. Pat had gone invisible and was looking down at the usually cold chick all warmed up to the child. "Boo."_

 _She freaked out, and blushed with a great red coloring on her face. Relieved that Pat took Lemy away from her numb legs, Lupa did some leg stretches and laughed with content._

 _The move between them was made after Lemy was placed in the homemade crib Lupa helped make. They sat next to each other, talking and laughing about their day. Pat leaned in, and Lupa let the kiss happen. The clothes came off just as fast, and Lupa was being dicked down. With every thrust that her new lover performed, she moaned, cried out and left some scratches on Pat's back. Her breasts bounced back and forth as the ride and its thrill kept going. His lips explored much of her body, and she squealed so girly when he bit into her boobs that she didn't believe she made that sound._

 _She laid on him, running a hand around his chest, enamored to the point she wasn't the Lupa anyone would recognize. "You weren't half bad, Patso."_

 _He planted his lips onto her forehead, bringing a smile to her face. "Feeling's mutual, but it's only my second time, so what do I know about good sex, right?"_

 _Lupa, a next-gen creature of curiosity, didn't restrain from a question that was not her business at all. She coughed before asking away. "So, um, what uhh..."_

 _Of course, he knew what she was going to ask. "His mother is gone."_

 _As it turned out, Lemy's unknown mother happened to be a normal person, younger than Pat. It was nothing short of a relationship, but Pat was handed baby Lemy when he revealed himself as a pheno. The guess was that it might've spooked her into running away, and Pat left it at that. This filled the in-between and led the father and son to arrive at Grimmtown, through similar trails that Lupa received. Ge shared openly, and Lupa was due to give him something just as good and significant. And she did just that._

 _It was about four years later, and in a dark night, when they were gathered at Lupa's request. "No, this isn't a sleepover." She scratched the back of her head, looking down. "I've left a lot of things out that one time I so vaguely explained what I've been through. But there's more, there's been more the whole damn time."_

 _Her heritage, tied to some real monsters, and heroes, or vigilantes, depending on who's point of view it was, became known that night. "You've heard of the Freights? These bad dudes who wanted to mess up the world for some damn message."_

 _Pat rubbed his chin. "I remember hearing about them on the news. Why, you knew them, too?"_

 _Lupa lifted her shoulders. "More or less. You remember I said I was a clone, right?"_

 _All heads nodded in unison, wondering what Lupa was going to unveil from her past._

 _"I happen to be a clone of two people, not one. One was a Freight, who became a pheno later. The other, who I take after physically, is- I mean, was a monster hunter. She joined Vial as protection service, but joined the phenos I ran with when she found out what they were doing. If... If anything still makes less sense, I'd like to say that-" Lupa gulped quickly. "-These phenos, me, my sisters and my donors, we all belong in the same fucking family tree."_

 _"...What?"_

 _"Yeah, but that's not all. Hell, not even the half of it. My name, my full name..." Lupa stood on both legs, furthering the dramatic vibes in her room. "...Is Lupa Loud."_

 **Now**

"Did they hang you up like a piñata or something? Considering they didn't kill you, they punished you less severely, did they not?" Linka would have armed herself if it was her instead of Lupa in Grimmtown.

"No, I wasn't attacked, or anything. Not by my close friends, but I'd get verbal abuse every so often, which I totally understand. It took less than a month for the whole phenoville to know the blood I share with is the same as the one person who fucked up hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. That's not a Lupa fact they forgot as fast as I've shared. But, I was no Lisa, nor the weapon she intended me to become. No one had anything to worry about, so shit died down eventually."

"I get it. They want to feel safe and shit. It's just the survival instinct, which we don't really think about, but we definitely act upon it." Linka yawned widely. "It's getting late, sis. Maybe we should call it a night?"

The cue beckoned Lupa to decrease the burning flames until the embers were no more. Linka moved in the dark, and used her memory to get to where she believed was her tent. She didn't even wish Lupa a good night, and felt around the space that wasn't occupied by the sleeping teenager. She dropped down, rolled in the only cover the tent offered, and yawned.

 **July 11th, 2039**

Somewhere in the morning, maybe afternoon, Linka and Lucky were set and ready, while the kids were still taking down the tents. Linka held the last teleportation device, courtesy of Lemy. She stood in front of a tree, waiting for the latter to wrap up their packing.

"We don't have to take them down, I'm sure no one comes here," Linka added.

There wasn't much of the kids' belongings to take, apart from a second pair of clothes, and no bag or a backpack to even carry them in.

"Hey, I know there's space in there. Help these guys out, Linka." Lupa tugged at the brown duffel bag in Linka's arms, and managed to pull it from her.

"Ugh, fine. I guess it shouldn't matter since I'm coming back to my wardrobe," Linka compromised. "Take as much as you can."

Leia pulled the duffel bag from the air and sprinted to her tent. "I get to go first, for I'm fabulous! And, I've been leading us-"

Lupa snickered, and looked away to hide her expression from the bitchy blonde.

"Lupa Loud, you are my number one rival!" Leia formed a fist and waved it at Lupa before dumping her small pile of clothes, mostly of the pink color, and passed the duffel bag to Tabby.

"How long did you have to put up with her?" Linka found herself laughing a bit.

"Uhh, like four years," was Lupa's reply. "She's the Lola of this place, minus the whole diva thing. Our recreational activities don't include beauty pageants, and they probably never will."

"If there were any, I would be winning them in streaks, I tell you!" Leia crossed her arms, scoffing with disgust.

"Okay, we're ready!" Lemy held and shook the duffel bag. "So, we're gonna meet more of Lupa's family, right? God, I hope there's some good food waiting for me at the other end."

"There should be," Linka assured. "Plenty for everyome who's still hungry."

All the kids cheered and smiled. "Right on, love! I could really neck a tasty sarnie right about now!"

"Uhh... What did the British girl say?" Linka laid a finger on her head and scratched.

"She wants a sandwich, peanut butter specifically. I hope you have some tasty iced mochas waiting for me?" Lupa growled at Linka purely for some intimidation. "You know how much I love those things."

"Heh, don't I always?" Linka let the round object fall feet from her. Soon, the familiar blue portal opened up on the ground, replacing a piece of the dirt carpet. "Kids go first, then us three."

Tabby was the first to jump in, howling with her undying enthusiasm. "Woooo!"

"Geez, tiny Luna confirmed," Linka yelped. The Fairchild kids slowly walked towards the blue hole until they fell in and disappeared wordlessly. Leia stood at the end, and looked over the funny, blue whirlpool. "I- I'm not sure about this, so maybe I'll just-"

"Oh, no you don't!" Lupa raised Lemy from the ground, ramming him into Leia. "Sorry, not sorry!"

"Whu- Lupa!" Lemy wiggled frantically as he and the carry-on bag macked into the junior Lola, making her shriek in fear.

"Well, that was harsh," Linka joked. "Lucky, get in there!"

The teen pulled his beanie down again, and strapped his backpack tighter. "I'm not used to this shit yet."

"And for your own good, you never do," Lupa exclaimed. She gave him a push as well, helping him get to the other end. "Meet you there, Linka."

"Of course." Linka looked around to the leftovers of the campers, and then around the woods one last time. Lupa had vanished into the vortex. "It smells like shit here."

Linka did a stretch before jumping in.

 **The Loud Residence - Sunnyvale, California**

Linka hit the hard wooden floorboards of the hall, right outside Lucky's room. "Fuck! Why did I bend my knees?" She stood up, and rubbed her throbbing legs before looking around. For a place that should have been going off and noisy, she discovered it was too quiet. Hell, the silence was more than enough to drive her bonkers. "Uh, hello? Lupa? Lucky? Pipsqueaks?"

From below, the alerting sound of a shattering glass cup placed Linka into action. She turned downstairs and made a wide leap that landed her right at the second step. It was something miraculous when she didn't miscalculate this time and rolled upon impact.

She saw them. All the kids, and even Lucky, hiding behind Lupa for some strange reason. But it was the fact that they seemed scared of something. "Fuck is going-?"

Lupa had her hands out, extended right into the kitchen. Linka wasn't seeing whatever the problem was. She advanced right to Lupa's side and peered into the kitchen. "Lupa, what's-?"

A pair of yellow eyes, with demonic, green pupils, were staring back at the lot. At first, Linka thought it was Luna in her monstrous form. But she was wrong, for Luna herself was standing _behind_ the creature these horrid eyes belonged to, bloody and seemingly unconscious. Linka finally noticed the surroundings, and the awful mess made in this obvious fight they missed out on.

The creature grew closer, and was too strangely appearing coincidentally identical to Luna's reptilian form. "Why... Hello..." The voice was deeper, and croaked more, so much like an actual demon.

Linka and Lupa struck their battle poses and clenched their fists, ready for a fight at the home front.

* * *

 **AN: Phew, another chapter done. What new thing could I possibly be doing this time? Who's in danger, and who isn't?**

 **A special thanks to Patanu for the granted permission in the not-so-subtle use of him and Lemy and I think Leia was his? Not sure, too many sin kids. And another thanks to Forlorn Hope for his Fairchild OCs.**

 **Who is this second reptilian beast? And why does it look familiar to Luna's alter ego? F** **nd out, and more on the next chapter of 2039!**


	8. Outbreak, Part One

**July 7th, 2039**

She smiled when the door opened up, expecting Linka to have changed her mind that darn fast. She bounced off of the stairs, sore from sitting for what seemed like forever. Whether this was bad for her health right now didn't matter as much as this little incursion. "Hey, I knew you'd-"

But it was Luna and the gang who had returned from their grocery shopping. Luna held the door open to let Lana and Luan go on ahead with the bags they carried in both of their hands. "You knew what, little dude? Hey, you should be resting in bed." Luna took initiative of strict mother once again. "What are you doing up?"

Lily only sighed, and drooped her shoulders. "It's Linka and Lucky."

Luan and Lana set the groceries on the kitchen table, stopping by the all too familiar sound of breaking news. They looked at one another and closely listened.

"What? What about them?" Luna wasn't having their shit again. "Don't tell me they had another sparring session? Geez, she's poisoning his mind!" Disappointed more than ever in the clone and her wrongful antics, Luna made a few leaps up the stairs. "Linka! Lucky!"

The three sisters followed behind Luna, with Lily now mumbling gibberish. "N-no, they-"

Luna checked up on Lucky's room, but found it empty. "Lazy bum finally got off his ass, I see. He in Linka's room?"

Lily tugged Luna's purple shirt, trying to get her attention. It seemed Luna was more stubborn and cranky than in the good ol' teen years. "I'm trying to say that-"

The door of Linka's room was halfway ajar, and Luna gave it a hard kick that sent it back like it was a tactical break-in. "Linka, I'm going to kick-" Just like Lucky's room, this one was empty as well. Lily's baby had awoken from its interrupted nap, crying erratically in the next room over. "Where did they go?"

Lily shook her head before telling Luna what had happened. "She planned it under our noses, and she took my nephew. _Our_ nephew, Luna."

Luan and Lana redirected their heads away from the two, having known this day was never out of the equation. In nature, each sister anticipated that Linka would actually just decide enough was enough, and with her knack of the life which had been predestined and paved for her, she'd leave, just as she had. The thing no one really accounted for was-

"He went with her? Seriously?!" Luna grabbed hold of Lily's shoulders. "Why didn't you bother calling me?!"

"Luna-" Luan sensed Luna was angry, but there was also something else that the comedienne felt.

Luna growled inhumanely at the clown. "Bugger off, mate!" She warned without hesitation. "Baby's crying, go attend to him."

Luan stared for several long seconds, before breaking away and going to baby Lincoln's aid. Lana, nerved by a surfaced Luna episode, had words of her own. "Luna, she didn't know what to do. Maybe she tried to stop them or something. You can't blame her for not succeeding. It's not like they'll be gone forever. We have Lynn and the Agency, maybe they can help us track them."

Luna regained her mind, coming to a calm. She carefully let go of Lily, who didn't seem to be scared or spooked at all. "Sorry, dude... I just wished you could have let us know."

Lily didn't, and here was why. "You didn't see it, Luna. She wasn't just getting ready to leave after you three left. She already was leaving. She had it all prepared for God knows how long. She'd have been gone if I did notify you about it." Lily paused and looked up. "She was fed up before the last straw, Lunes. You didn't see the look on her face."

Luna only scratched the back of her neck, already gathering some solutions to this. "It's always something with her, I swear. Maybe I can track their scent!" She jumped back down to run out the door. "They couldn't have gone far!"

Lily raised a finger to contradict, but then lowered it in hopelessness. She and Lana followed after Luna, who was sniffing frantically in the air. "Fuck!" She sniffed some more. "FUCK!"

"Can't get a scent?" Lana came forward and looked around. "We should call Lynn now."

"Call? Ooh, great idea!" Luna pulled out her phone. Lana smiled up until Luna continued. "Pick up! Pick up, Linka fucking Loud!'

"Psssht, that's not what I had in mind," Lana contrasted. She went back inside, passing by the spectating Lily, firmly standing meters behind Luna.

The call transferred immediately to voicemail, making it clear to Luna that Linka switched of her phone. It also meant Lucky's was as well. Luna froze up, letting the voicemail message become a long one. She looked to the sky. "Where are you?"

Lily made a step towards her. "We can find them, Luna. We just need to alert Lynn and-"

"And the spooks? What then, Lily? They're gonna likely take her away, and I don't want that. You know the deal that was made..."

 **December 16th, 2026**

 _"Wait, what?! What do you mean she's your property?!" Luna was the only person blocking the Agency's director and five of his men from getting their hands on sweet little Linka. She only unveiled her razor teeth at them, and spread her arms to shield the clone. "Linka is the only reminder of our dead brother we have left. And she's also a human being, so she should have a say!"_

 _Lily and Luan acted as the second layer of detail, having their arms around the scared Linka. Lana was the only one neutral at the scene, watching from behind her own. The hallway had become a Mexican stand-off at this point. There would have been a fight if Lynn didn't run her way in to ease the escalation tension._

 _"Whoa there! Easy, Luna!" Lynn had a hand held out to each group. "Let's be rational about this."_

 _"To hell with that! Linka's not going anywhere!"_

 _"That statement is correct, miss Loud," the director pointed out. "She will remain here at the Agency, where she will be placed back in suspended animation until we figure out what do to with her. It has never been lost on us that she is a genetically modified clone with the purpose to become Vial's secret weapon. As of now, we here at the-"_

 _"She's not dangerous!" Luna insisted._

 _"Sir, please, Linka is not the brutal toy you make her out to be. She has always done good by us, and-" Of course, Lynn's opinion was countered._

 _"That remains to be, but lest ye forget, the reports you've filled of the events during and after the last New York incident suggest precious Linka has killed an unidentified female pheno. As of yet, we are unable to ID the mess left for us at the old Freight base." He walked past Lynn and went on a knee. "Linka, sweetheart, could you kindly come with us?"_

 _However much time the clone had spent on the inside of chambers wasn't known to Luna, but what she did know, and would make sure, was that Linka had paid her time already. The image of genderbent Lincoln alone for up to years was maddening and devastating. Yes, Luna was usually siding with these guys, but today it was something different, yet familiar._

 _Familiar, because this battle had been fought before, and Luna led a side. The conflict in question regarded whether the three other clones, Liby, Lacy and Lupa, were threats or not. It ended as bad as it began, but amends were made, especially in favor of Linka. To think it was happening again, in generally the same way, was poetic, and would seem to be later on._

 _"She doesn't have to go anywhere, dudes!" Despite having curious thoughts about Linka following further into her descendant's shoes, Luna still valued the girl as one of her own. Hell, she was a Loud as well, but Linka had to live up to the title. "She's only eleven!"_

 _"Director, sir, there has to be a way this can be overlooked." Lynn, a pheno soldier of the Agency and family member of the family, had an idea. Her current status could, at the very least, make them consider the compromise she formed. "One chance, just one chance to keep and raise her. We've done enough for the world, and we've never asked for anything in return. This... Please give us this."_

 **Now**

"Thank God they did that for us. As long as we've kept her in line, there wouldn't be any trouble between us and them for this issue. Look..." Luna sat down on the porch, making it creak with her huge, thick ass. "I have nothing against Linka. Nothing, but it's how she behaves. Her shattered ideals that came with the cells that structured to make her. I wasn't... Sure if-"

At the time, there was no telling if, or when, Linka would dwelve into the place of darkness and despair they had gotten enough of. Lily had spent more time around the chaotic situations of the family, and her innocence and morality were still intact. Hell, she was even a mother to a beautiful, healthy child. And Linka was nowhere near that peaceful life, as it showed over the years. Fight, bruises, and too many first-aid kits in between those past thirteen years.

"I feel like she's lost," Luna confessed. "She's just too stubborn and feisty. Even Lynn wasn't like that when we grew up."

It was as confusing as she thought it was. It was always the same ultimatum for the past two years now, but one that she never placed on the table; the first option was to just let her go her own way, seeing as how Linka was old enough and knew how the world worked. She could find a job somewhere, probably a lumberjack or construction worker due to her super strength; or, just allow her to keep making arguments and going on her own escapades behind their back. The one fact that she would never forget, like the others, was that Linka was the only reminder of Lincoln they had. As much as they could despise the clone, they wouldn't have preferred her gone permanently. The blind eye was applicable to all but the vastly irritated Luna, the strongest holder of their beliefs.

"...That's interesting, considering, well, you know..." The missed years made Lily feel like a stranger for whenever the others would reminisce back into their younger years. "I wish there were at least photos or something."

Luna scratched her chin, recalling something about photos in her teens. "Wait a second..." There was that digital library of photos Lincoln had gone to recreate from a goof he didn't mean to make. It still existed within the Cloud. Luna gasped and smiled widely. "I think I have an answer for that, Lilster!"

Before she went on to explain the virtual album, a straight red line passed by them, coming in like a bullet train. Luna grew alarmed and jumped to her feet. "Whoa, what?!"

Lynn's foosteps sounded off behind them. In her signature suit and her secondhand helmet, she leaned against the wooden railing and let out a relaxing sigh. "I really put Lance Armstrong to shame," she smirked.

"Uhh, I think that guy was a bicycle racer- Wait, what are you doing here?" This came totally unexpected to Luna, and it the utmost ironic of times.

"Hey, sis. Didn't think I'd come back this soon," Lynn panted. She seemed out of breath, implied directly through her rarely seen panting. Normally, her physical condition seemed to push past every hell thrown at her. Well, after she first developed her perfectly fit body, which took so much time and effort to get. Lynn removed her helmet and set it down below her feet. "My head gets real hot underneath that!"

Lily was ecstatic to see her big tough sister again. Her salutation was always a warm hug that never got old for them. Lynn sank into Lily's gentle touch of love, and returned the hug. "Hey, little one! Oh, shouldn't you be taking it easy?"

"I suppose you're right, but..." Lily centered her eyes on Luna, who still seemed to be absolutely lost and still tasked with their dilemma.

"Luna? Something the matter?" Lynn broke the rocker out of her mental trance, returning Lizard Breath back.

"Eh? Oh, uhhh... Nothing, Lynn. Come on in." Luna stepped back inside and escorted Lynn to the kitchen. She twiddled with her fingers in such a guilty manner that Lynn knew something was up here. "Bloody good to see you, mate."

"Still with the British thing, huh? You're almost gonna be in your forties, Lunes." Lynn crashed on the dark red sofa and took the whole space up. "Any Powerade or Gatorade here? I need the quencher." She bobbed her head down, and spaced out momentarily.

"Hello? Are you going to even answer my question?" Luna placed her hands on her hips, while the happy Lily was on her way to inform Lana and Luan of Lynn's unexpected visit.

"Wha- Oh, right. Listen..." Lynn then broke into whisper mode and turned on her side. "Listen, there is this real big favor I need of you, and you alone. No one else..."

Luna was intrigued, but a little reluctant to agree to whatever the favor was. Lynn wasn't about fun and games at the moment, which meant this was something serious, and perhaps a matter of life and death. "Uhh, well, what is it?"

"It's the Agency, there was a raid at their headquarters. This party, an unknown organization, stole one of the original pheno formulas. The higher-ups need to reactivate the ideal team they once had with us to fight them, but in the time of now..." Lynn leaned up to add more effect. She looked at her hands and kept turning them. "Only you, me and Linka are the best they can afford to combat the threat."

Luna wheezed and choked hard, for she couldn't believe what she was hearing. A call back to action, but it was Luna and Linka who were being summoned by their unofficial handlers. What made it worse is that Linka had just fucked up massively. "A-are you serious about this?"

Above, multiple footsteps clattered through the hallway and echoed to ground level. The other three sisters were coming down. Lynn pressed a finger to her lips and went back down. "Oh, yeah, very serious."

The sight of Lynn returned daylight to both Lana and Luan. "Hey, Lynn! What's the-"

"Don't even make a pun, Luan! Not for another nine minutes, at least." Luan's jokes and puns were still bound to be shitty, but Lynn humored the comedienne with a smile.

The baby's crying had ceased somewhere in between, now gone noticed by the rocker. Luna flashed a thumbs up at Luan and leaned against one of the couch's arms.

"Well fine, just don't _run_ away from it!" Luan let out a laugh as the grand finale for this one, bringing a wave of groans and facepalms. "What brings you by, Lynn?"

Luna was left to listen whatever cover story or lie Lynn had. Meanwhile, there was the matter of Linka and Lucky, and there was no way to hide it for long. Luna was already forming her own little lies, but would everyone follow the charade? She gulped and tensed up, all the more worried about what was to become for Linka's future, if she would be ensured of one.

"It's my day off, of course. Also, it's not too long ago since Lily's kid was brought into the world. I had to come back to see it, and the last baby I saw before him was Lily herself."

The youngest Loud smiled with such heartfelt emotion that her lovely blue eyes had gone to glimmer magnificently. The glances she and Lynn exchanged was something holy and pure. It was like the essence of Leni had latched itself into Lily, living on for the cinnamon roll. "Aww, Lynn..." Her hands mounted over her heart.

Lynn took notice that two key individuals were missing. "Wait, where's Linka and Lucky?"

All faces turned to a single direction, which was occupied by Luna. She turned red and felt rather foolish and disgraced with the failed task that had, for the past thirteen years, never gone south. Luna clenched her fists, took a deep breath and promptly exhaled in a test of confidence. "Well, sis, they're...-"

"Lynn, they both ran away over an hour ago!" Lily had no intention to hide it, even after Luna made it clear what would be in store for Linka if word got out to Lynn and the Agency. "I'm so glad you came at the right time! Could you help us find them?"

Lynn was stunned, just like Luna had envisioned. Her face was flabbergasted with the news, with the eyes widening, mouth going agape. "Really? Really?! I need-" Her rising outburst was enough to accidentally spoil the lively scene with the questionable sentence that almost came to form. Luna coughed nearly subtle. "I need... More detail."

The happiness spiraling around Lynn had drained away into uncomfortable silence. Luna had gently released her tightly formed grips and exhaled naturally. "We just came back from grocery shopping, dude. We didn't know either until they left. And no, no one had a fight or anything." Luna looked back to her recent scolding of Linka and Lucky. "I don't... I didn't want to get you involved, actually."

This surprised Luan and Lana indefinitely.

Lynn narrowed her eyes, taking it as a challenge. "What? Why would that be-?"

"Remember, Lynn. Remember the compromise we made with them about her." Luna faced the window and stared out. "I know you probably have to constantly fill our close friends in on every situation, but this one... Could you please make the exception of not reporting her disappearance?"

The fact that Lynn held some degree of that authority-type power pleased her. She didn't have the idea to smile, for this was all but humorous. She cleared her throat. "So, I came here for Linka and Luna, they're needed at the Agency," she admitted. "But I guess I'll take Luna now. And don't worry, I'll have some sort of cover story, but I might take some heat from them, it's how it goes."

It turned out all well and good for Linka in this predicament, but that situation wasn't anything bigger nor deadlier than the new conflict Lynn had brought to the table. Luna was given the call tp action, one more time to fight, slash and even kill again. She wasn't sure if her head was all for it, with having lost some of the survival instincts throughout her living without even squashing a fly. Her life, and putting it in danger for the first time in so long, had brought about the first ever time she had dropped into her first terrifying experience. Like then, she had not just one person to lose, but the remains of the family who could lose her, just as easily as they had their fallen. Fear...

She had to go through with it, and would so wordlessly. "Well, that's some good news. I'm leaving you three in charge of law and order here, while me and Lynn will try to find out Linka's whereabouts from the Agency, without raising suspicion."

Lynn chuckled and took Luna over her shoulders. "Uhh, you're still taller than me. Bend your knees and make sure to not drag your feet when I do my thing. That means you lift them until I stop running. Oh, and hold your breath."

"Yeah, I think I remember the concept, speedy." Luna readied up.

"And if you lose your legs, don't say no one _toe'd_ you so!" Luan raised her leg and slapped her kneecap as she laughed heartily. "I've still got it, and I always will."

"Well, that's my cue to-" And Lynn, with the rocker passenger, raced away to the Agency, leaving a fused after-image trail of purple and red parallel lines.

Luna took a deep breath, mentally preparing for the perilous journey that laid ahead. Her body tensed up, taking upon endless gusts of winds. She had to cover and squint her eyes for any tiny obstacles in the form of bugs and such, and times the run, it would have to be awhile. All Luna could do was wait until the ride was over.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

The old, small garage awoke from its fourth consecutive day of not being occupied. The four rectangular lights, built within the ceiling, turned away the vast darkness into oblivion, and a black van was just rolling into one of the two spaces the garage housed. In the left corner of the place was a small setup of a few unmanned laptops and some titanium devices shaped like phones and tablets alike, along with a few green cords, bunched in a mess.

The black van stopped in a perfect parked position, ignition going off. The driver and all passengers exited the vehicle all at once, in perfect tactical sync. There were five men who advanced into a group, dressed in dark green gear, intact Kevlar armor over each of their chests, generic ski masks and holstering MP5s with straps on. The front passenger had a bonus cargo; their target, which was a metal briefcase, being occupied with one single serum in a large cylinder container.

The driver slipped off his mask to reveal Vick Ventura's own face. Much like his dead brother, he had grown the chin hair and let his hair go just as curly as Vince's own.

Not a drop of sweat had been shed before, during, and after the shooting. He smiled upon taking their secured payload from the carrier and opened it up. "Excellent, now we have an advantage ourselves."

The formula, AZ-149, which was the same one that Luna was forcibly given to, rested peacefully inside the container, defrosting from the cryogenic freezer it had been locked away in, along with its other serum buddies the Agency stored there from the overtaking of Vial Corp. Vick smiled and snickered with a clear, malicious intent on his mind.

Step one, check. The proceeding move was the climax one, proving to be the big all-or-nothing move. "We'll take them by surprise. All of them. All of the wretched Loud freaks, and I'll see to it that the Black Network is reborn!"

* * *

 **AN: From this, to the cliffhanger scene from the previous chapter, is all worked out magnificently. Probably the whole revenge thing is overdone, so I'll just slip the concept and in-a-nutshell plot motive of the villain as a retribution fueled thing, before it spirals to something else you can't believe, or even imagine. Heh, I love writing this.**


	9. Outbreak, Part Two

**July 7th, 2039**

Luna couldn't help but vomit just above the Agency HQ, an underground bunker that took up over a mile of land, concealed under a desert landscape in the middle of nowhere in the state of Nevada. If the sun was still hanging above nice and high, it would've been a horrible burning experience from there to here, especially as she was a cold-blooded hybrid.

"Careful, my suit is dry-clean only!" Lynn dodged away from Luna's front side, cowering behind her as the latter was still puking away. She slipped off her helmet to breathe fresher air. The horrendous odor wasn't helping. "Let it out here, not inside."

Luna gagged out the last of her vomit and violently coughed before raising herself back up. "Guhh!" Her face looked like she had just been shit-faced from a crazy party. "I don't feel so good..."

"Man up! Or, woman up, I suppose." Lynn eyed around the vacant area, seemingly looking for something. "Dang it, where's the-?"

In multiple directions, four metallic tube-shaped objects rose from the ground, followed by a sound of huge twisting metal from below. Luna reacted totally surprised by it. "You mean this?" She noticed that the tube things were arranged to base the shape of a rectangle, and they were standing on some sort of entrance. "Wait, is this an elevator?"

Lynn smiled and nodded. "I guess you could say that, but I just call it the lift down to the HQ."

Slowly but clearly, the two began to descend downwards with the lift. Luna was asking so many questions about how something like this was construction. Like, how long did it take? How did they get the whole base below endless sand? Why such a wide lift? Luna wasn't sure what to expect, but on her way down, she came across metal walls around the lift, rather than more sand. "I've never been to this one before. When did this happen?"

Luna had not been up-to-date on anything about the Agency besides Lynn's periodical reports she'd tell Luna about the victories she and the Agency had achieved in taking down and defeating their usual targets big enough for them.

"Six years ago, and they didn't want anyone not part of it directly in the dark. I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to, but now you know, Lunes."

The ride going down had stopped completely, with an opening the size of a square welcoming them. Directly ahead was the familiar hallway that Luna knew she couldn't forget. "The same generic design for this place?"

"Damn right," Lynn confirmed.

 **Later**

Luna took a seat at the long wooden table in their debriefing room, the place meetings and mission assessments mainly took place. She was next to Lynn, taking up the two furthest chairs from the back left, looking over the front screen. The room itself was already occupied by fellow men and women all dressed up in nice casual suits and ties, with all eyes centered in the same direction.

A projection began to play after the lights went off. Luna paid close attention to the informative criticals. The director, the same old man Luna also remembered from all those years ago, began the debrief.

"Good evening, everyone," he began. "I'm sure you all know why you're here tonight. Let's go over with what we know, for our special guest here today." The director raised a hand to the screen and stepped back. On instant, the plain white screen shifted to a spectacle. A security footage cam had captured heavily armed men in masks, shooting their way from one of the floors, with one of them carrying a metal briefcase. "Five unidentified men have broken into one of our bases, specifically our west coast one, and walked out with AZ-149 from the storage labs."

Luna could not be hearing this correctly. This serum, this exact one, was the very same one that she have had coursing through her veins. They latched and mutated much of her body structure, or as she remembered the explanation, having been yawning through the whole summary. She opened her mouth to talk, but only yelped and embarrassed herself.

The footage changed into a file of the formula, along with a picture of the substance. "The significance of this concoction is that it is one such serum with reptilian properties, able to turn any person into a pheno upon succession."

Luna narrowed her eyes after those words. She growled quietly, only noticed by Lynn, who bumped an elbow into her shoulder.

"A thorough investigation is going underway to locate and subdue our unidentified visitors, but we do believe this is not the work of a terrorist cell. We are looking at new players in the field most likely, and we are currently linking up with other authorities to start a lowkey search for these. By the way they move and shoot in the recorded footage, they're tactical, possible ex-Marines. I believe this to be a merc job, which means the stolen serum will be falling into the wrong hands if we do not contain this, and that is top priority. Any questions?"

Within the silence, Luna was in shock and awe by this. She wasted no second in standing up to speak her open mind. "What the hell?! How did this happen?!"

Lynn glanced at her and motioned a head shake in an effort to ease Luna. "Don't..."

"There are no answers to that yet, but ruling out that one of our agents happened to be in this group would be too soon. That's the one that makes most sense, but we have other guesses. Even so-"

Luna barked wildly at the director. "Now, hold on. Why do you still have these locked up in a huge freezer? Can't you just dispose of them?" She crossed her arms and scoffed at him.

"Frankly, it doesn't work that way, miss Loud. All of these compounds are hazardous to the environment. Simply tossing them all away like they are trash would cause a series of unexpected variables, and we can't afford to make such messes. They've always been safe with us, and most of them are. 149 is the only one that was taken, nothing else. The question is, why do they want this one specifically?"

Luna remembered why she was there. "As I understand it, you want me, with Lynn, to help you clean up this mess? _Your_ mess?"

Lynn tugged on Luna's purple shirt. "Don't disrespect the man, Luna. Sit down."

"That is correct. There is no telling what we can expect with such light information in our hands. Our best option was to bring in phenos. I've lost good men, and I'm not going to send more to die for me. I choose you to handle this, because you're beyond."

Luna wasn't liking it at all. It was all bogus, especially the whole part where they would have to retrieve the same goddamn formula that transformed Luna into a flesh-eating scaly monster. "Hmm... Well, what do you suggest we do? Where do we start looking?"

The director waved a finger at her. "As it turns out, just before the five took off with their objective, there was a message that the leader of the group had left for us."

The file and picture of AZ-149 abandoned the screen as well, replaced by an image of a wall with words painted in red. The message read;

 **CATCH US IF YOU CAN, LOUDS**

"It seems that they know about you in ways we cannot deduce as of yet. This is vital, as it could very well be something personal. I am assigning you two to go to the base this went under siege and scout around while we here work around the clock with other bureaus and local law enforcement within a fifteen mile radius from there via communications. We have more AZ-149 back at the primary base, so Luna, you will have to use your augmented sense to sniff them out and trace."

Lynn and Luna could not help but ponder at what this message meant. The deadly party was more than just doing a job here, it seemed. They were just challenged to a game of some sort, but who were these players exactly? This had definitely confirmed that homework had been done thoroughly. "They know about us? How can that be?"

"It shouldn't even be possible," Lynn answered for the director. "No one outside the Agency can get ahold of these facts. Anyone who does is long since dead, and that includes Vial and Black Network alike. There is no one left alive from the remnants of what we've dismantled, and we've made sure of that."

"But someone knows, alright, and your task is to find them, retrieve the stolen goods. You have authority to kill if necessary, but my preference is you try and take them alive. Are we understood?"

"Yes, sir," Lynn responded.

Luna only nodded once, keeping her glaze on the director and the screen. Somehow, she had a powerfully bad feeling about this.

"Very well," the director proceeded. "You two stay put, I have a matter that I need to discuss. The rest of you are dismissed. Back to your stations."

Luna was nudged again by Lynn's elbow, directing her attention back to the speedster. "Ah! What?"

"Say nothing. He's probably curious why Linka's not here, and he did a good job in not making it clear to his colleagues here." The two sisters remained seated up to the point the calm but strict head of the Agency shut the room with a gentle hand. "Say nothing, I mean it," Lynn reminded Luna once more.

"Lynn, I do believe I asked you to return with Luna and Linka. I'm sorry, did I not make myself clear?" He stood over her with both hands placed behind his back, looking for some reaction out of Lynn.

Out of slight intimidation, she stuttered out, "Well, I understood your instructions, but Linka...-" And suddenly, Luna withdrew some intense pressure, finding herself in between the truth from a lie. The few seconds she maintained her silence was enough to suggest the expert director that something was going on. "Would you care to share why Linka is not here?"

"She's off-" Luna started, but was cut off by Lynn.

"She's on a vacation with our nephew. They don't wanna be disturbed in Hawaii. Look, if we had known this would have happened, you have my word all three of us would be here. It's just some bad timing." Lynn gave off a similar aroma of being off for a reason the director could not explain. Lynn wasn't wrong by her last sentence. There was indeed some terrible timing on everyone's part.

"Is that so?"

Lynn smirked with less confidence than she had when the two sisters had entered the room. She chuckled lightly and simply nodded. "It's funny, isn't it?"

He studied her face, and then Luna's, before making his exit. "Very well," he accepted. "Just get to the base ASAP." The room's metal door slid open to let him out, and closed again with a hissing noise that sounded like air being sucked in heavily through someone's nose.

"That... That barely worked..." Luna leaned back on her chair, relieved but nearly sweating bricks. "That dang Linka, man. She's ruining it for you and making us look bad."

"I'm totally gonna give her a beatdown when I see her, that's for sure. Anyways, enough talk about her, we've got some work to do. Here." Lynn opened her left arm for Luna to lock ahold off for another Lynntastical ride. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Luna getting nauseous from the post-rollercoaster rush.

"I hate you," Luna scolded.

 **Later**

She didn't vomit the second time around, but this time was more of a dizzy notion. She stumbled outside and around the familiar Agency base, moving around like a drunk. "Fuck, help me, dude..."

"Walk it off, Lunes. You've had worse happen to you, and this weakens you?" Lynn had to guide the giddy rocker by her elbow, slowly heading through the white hallway that looked similar to that of a hospital's.

Luna held a hand on the temple of her head, agitated that her age was probably a factor of why the dizziness wasn't gone yet. "Did mom and dad ever...?" Luna brushed away Lynn's aid and centered herself against the wall.

"Ever what?" Lynn paused for her momentarily. "Come on, we need to get a move on. You can gave some headache relief pills if that'll help you get back to earth."

"And some antacids too, maybe. I've had some grub before coming back home, you know." Luna began moving again. "I'm guessing we aren't gonna tell the others about this mission?"

Lynn flashed a thumbs up. "It's gotta be that way, sis. Besides, we'd only be worrying them, and I don't wanna ruin their aura of happiness, especially with the newborn having been brought into the world. It was Lincoln, right? That's what she named the baby?"

"That's right. Bless them both..." Luna walked up to the cryogenic chamber at the end of the hall. On the left side of the doorway was a blue square hand scanner, the ideal security fit for a high tech place like this.

"How cold is it inside?" Luna placed her hand on the titanium door.

Lynn shrugged her shoulders, closely behind Luna. "I've never entered one of these before. I had no clearance to enter, due to me not being officially in bed with these guys."

Luna laughed. "How about unofficially, my dude?"

Lynn groaned. "That's not what I meant in the literal sense, dork. I'm saying I'm not that high up to have access to the top secret crap locked here, even though I've seen some stuff here. It's mainly all just files and reports of black ops here and there, kinda boring in reading form. Nothing really speaking my lang there." She pressed her left hand on the scanner. Three beeps followed by, and a hissing sound emitted from the tough doors. A clear fog of cold air made its way out to wrap around the girls' legs.

"Prepare that super sniffer of yours," Lynn joked.

Luna took a glance inside the huge room. It was the size of a gas station, lines up with rows of racks, all occupied by white cylinder canisters, each labeled by their correct number. "There's... So many of them..."

"Right? Hold on." Lynn took the liberty of getting the canister they needed, swooshing past Luna. The rocker was still in the midst of turning to look behind her, where Lynn was nanoseconds ago. She returned to her spot within the time range, and waited until Luna fully turned to her.

"Huh? Oh!" Luna gazed at the canister in Lynn's possession. "Wait, it's still frozen. How long until it liquidates, or whatever the term is?"

Lynn handed it to Luna. "Three seconds, hold this."

Luna had no choice, merely opening her hands out to hold the canister. The instant touch of the damn thing brought a terrible cold meeting to her hands. It was different from touching snow and other cold surfaces. Holding onto it for even such a short time could've easily made Luna experience and get sick from hypothermia. "It's so freaking cold, sis!"

Lynn rubbed her hands together and created friction. Thank god her suit was fireproof, or she would have burned the special fabrics right off from the suit's hands. With the built-up heat she extracted, Lynn took back the canister and performed her sorcery. The fragments of ice around the cylinder broke away while the content of its inside slowly turned back into its original state. Lynn formed a disgusted face when she saw the ugly serum go from solid to liquid. "Bleh!"

"What's wrong?"

Lynn simply shook her head. "It looks gross, Luna." Lynn held the canister to the tracker's face.

Luna took a whiff of the substance, doing so at her maximum.

"Easy up, it's not coke, for God's sake!"

Luna slapped Lynn without trying to hurt her. "Bugger off, mate. I thought I'd barely be able to smell it through that."

Lynn narrowed her eyes and raised a finger. "Uhhh... We could just open it and have you take the full odor of it."

Luna's eyes met hers, and then circled away from Lynn. "Right. How do you-"

Lynn opened the cylinder by twisting the top off. "That's how."

Luna took another sniff. This time, the smell was clear; the formula had a funky smell, equivalent to rhat of dishwashing detergent, but it was also minty at the same time. "Oooh, okay. I got the scent. We should get going now."

"Start heading topside, I'll meet you there," Lynn ordered. She quickly closed the formula and headed back inside the huge freezer. She cheated and swiped for Luna just as the rocker was halfway through the empty hall. Lynn carried her off to ground surface, wearing her like a towel.

 **Minutes Later**

Luna emptied her load into a trashcan, cursing Lynn infinitely. "Blurgh! You fucking-" She wretched again before continuing. "Motherfucker!"

"You'll get used to it, Luna. Just a few more times."

"This isn't like those 3D movies I took time to adjust to, Lynn! I get more than just slight discomfort on my forehead." She let herself go down against the wall on the alleyway they were in.

Lynn had transported them to the common town of Mountain View, not far from the primary Agency base. "Go on, start scoping around. That smell might not be strong, but you said you're still able to get a scent?"

Luna weakly flashed a thumbs up and began sniffing. "Oh yeah, but it's more than faint since it's been moved. Think of it like an invisible trail; once I find the trail, I can get to the location and take down our new pals."

"That could be anywhere! We need more clues. What are the chances these dudes came-"

And in a coincidental turn of events, Luna caught the minty detergent smell. "I got it! It's...-" She took the lead, heading into the vacant street. Luna looked to her left and right, still trying to get the stronger scent from each side. "I'm... The smell is strong, but...-"

Then, Luna gasped. She looked down the street, smelling something fishy. So to speak.

"What? What's wrong?"

Luna had indeed detected their objective, but the serum was emitting from multiple positions, all appearing to close in on her. "It's... It can't be."

"Luna?" Lynn looked down with her and stared into the desolate street. "I don't-" But Lynn saw it just after Luna pieced two and two together.

Three shadowy figures appeared just at the end of where the street intersected with another. These pdd silhouettes appeared to be bigger than any normal life size, but it didn't stop there. Lynn spotted the weird shapes behind them, wiggling about, and realized they were tails. And that meant serious trouble.

"They took it for themselves!" Lynn blurted out. "What the hell is this?!"

"Hey look out!" Luna guarded Lynn's backside, accurately predicting the final two were positioned to flank. "They're all here, dude!"

"What?!" Lynn readied for a fight, raising and clenching her hands into fists. The beings came closer, still engulfed around the dark. The moment they walked underneath the streetlights, Lynn felt shivers in the back of her neck.

The creatures before her resembled identically like Luna's alter ego, only they looked more nastier and a few times more aggerissive, and not to mention bigger and more of a darker green than Luna. They drew closer, prompting Lynn to go on the offensive against the three up ahead.

"Lynn, tag team!" Luna stood her ground but was left to fend for herself with Lynn's personality going forward to make her a one-man army again. "Goddamn..." She sighed and gave in, focusing on the two adversaries in front of her.

"Alright, loves! Let's see what you got!" Luna transformed into her beastly form, ripping away her clothes. She made her signature blood-curdling roar as her human features vanished, replaced by unsightly, ferocious ones. It only took less than ten seconds for Lizard Luna to be unlocked, ready for a fight. "Bring it."

* * *

 **AN: This felt like a weak chapter to me, but I've got some Writer's Block, or I'm just not in it. But hey, I'm still trying.**


	10. Outbreak, Part Three

**July 9th, 2039 - Unknown Location**

All she knew is the blood that rushed through her head was the only thing that was giving her grief. She jiggled around, rocking her body like a squirming caterpillar. Her arms were heavily chained behind her back. She tried to break them away for the fiftieth time, but was still unsuccessful. Wherever she was, Luna knew she was locked in what she thought was a cell alone.

Lynn was another matter completely, but no such answer, or even a hint, was given to Luna everytime she demanded Lynn's whereabouts. It was either that she got away from them, or that they had their own agenda that involved her in which they wouldn't let Luna in on. Whatever the case was, Luna was still hanging around in a blindfold. The chance of a rescue was looking slim already. She had been here for two days now.

"Bastards! I'm not done cutting you open! Get back here!"

She bobbed herself back and forth, reluctant to believe it was futile. The room was still cold as it had been when she first woke up. And just like back then, Luna tried to shift. But it didn't work, for some godforsaken reason. "What did you do to me?!"

The room was indeed empty, and she had her senses to thank for that. But was there a camera in the room? She would only confirm one if she heard it move by turning, if it could do that. But not a sound was heard, apart from the clattering of chains she kept struggling to escape out of.

Another thing Luna knew is that she was still alive, and that meant something. "You wanted me?! I'm here! Face me!"

It didn't matter if one of the reptile beasts would come to shut her up, or if it wouldn't work, for Luna still had to try. After all, there was nothing else that she could offer. "Who the fuck are you even?! At least grant me my dying wish if this is how I'll go down!"

Apart from using her ears, Luna's nose was still running perfectly. Her nose caught what she believed was gasoline, probably a tank of the stuff with her. _Lynn, you fucking idiot! Why didn't you back me?!_

Luna succumbed to the disorientation from the flood of blood. "Oh, well... F-..." She knocked out, head and body going motionless and dangling about.

 **Later**

She felt like she had a cold, and that was right before the bucket of water turned and gave her a rude awakening. She coughed and choked, sitting upright before taking an even more warm welcoming in the form of a kick to her face. Her tongue was caught in between her teeth, rendering it to instant pain.

"Oooowth!" Luna went back down, and noticed her surroundings. No longer was she strapped upside down or blindfolded, but wasn't free to move. Her body was now fully chained, making it hard for her to move anything from the neck down. "Wadth the futhh?!"

There was darkness at first, but the lights came on to fill the room. That was when Luna found herself back home, and she was on the floor of her bedroom. She shook her head to brush away the mess of water still in her face, trying to get a good look at her subduer hovering over her. Luna retracted her tongue back in place, trying not to emit lisp sounds.

"Good, you're awake," the man before her spoke in a pleased tone. "I hope you remember me."

The voice was familiar to Luna. She raised her head closer and studied him. "Wait, I know you. You're-"

"Ah, now it's coming back!" Vick smiled and bent down on his knees. He cupped a hand and wrapped it around on Luna's chin. He raised her head and toyed with it, laughing. "You know, leaving you two lesbos was easier for me than you think. At least I left you with your instruments."

"You mean the ones you and Chunk damaged?! You fucking idiots left us to fend for yourselves!" Luna sparked hidden anger from deep inside and used that to severely try to break free from the blanket of chains. "You and him, you both did this to us!"

Vick dropped another kick, but this time he struck her below her waist. Luna hollered in agony, unable to ease the inflicted spots. "I didn't care about that, I'm only here to realize a long forgotten dream, bitch."

Luna spat out blood towards him. It went high as far as to his heavy black set of pants. "How's that for a dream?" She snickered in a raspy tone. "Fuck you and the horse you rode in on."

All Luna had was pure rage for the cesspot of a former handmade, completely forgetting where she was and the unknown status of her family members. She tried desperately to budge and wiggle her way out, but it was still proving to be pointless. Not that she couldn't believe it, she was still wondering how this reunion was possible, in a place and sitch like this.

It was so damn long ago when she met the band, consisting of her girlfirend Sam, greaser wannabe Vick, and the tub of lard Chunk. Why was it coming back now? How was that Vick roped into this? And more importantly, why?

"What the hell do you want? Some closure?" Again, Luna gazed up at him, ceasing her body movements. "What are you doing?"

Vick, who had not enough facial resemblance to the dead Vince Ventura it seemed, stared coldly down back at her, saying nothing.

"Are you gonna answer me?!" Luna raised her chained legs and kicked the air, hoping to get a hit on him. All the Ventura man did was back away from her range.

"I don't have to answer to you, Luna. But, since you're gonna die, I could honor a last request or something. Dying without answers would maybe have your ghost attached to me until I die, and who wants that, right? Me, I'm not one to believe in the supernatural or ghostly apparitions, but in this world anything is possible, and I'd not take risks. So..." Vick turned his back to her and took two steps from her. "I didn't lie about my family. I kept wondering how, and why they died."

Luna narrowed her eyes at him, helplessly watching him explain. At the time he and Chunk had broken away from their band, this excuse was used on them, but Luna had always remained skeptical, even up to this very day. "Bullshit! You wanted out because I ended up with Sam, and we all knew you liked her! Some silly crush fucked-"

"NO!" He screamed back as a counter, and then jumped right at her. He landed right over her, putting her in between his legs. He got his face right up in her business, seething with such a raging expression on His face. His regular sets of teeth shaped into deadly razors, opened wide enough to easily bite part of Luna's face off. It was just an intimidation ploy that had no affect on Luna. He then let off a huge roar right at her, sending drips of his saliva and atrocious breath to give her. "What a surprise to know that, apart from me, there was only one other relative still alive after I thought I lost everything."

The words were vague to Luna. She was only getting more puzzled by the second. "What the fuck are you on about?"

And then, Vick unpredictably went in and sank his razor teeth into Luna's shoulder. He bit hard, and the rocker squealed so horribly that she lost her scream, still having her mouth agape. It hurt more than the greatest amount of pain from the wounds inflicted. Unlike those, easier ones to walk through, Luna twirled her shoulder, hissing in agony. It hurt to the point she was tearing up and bobbing her head side to side. Whatever happened to her pheno abilities was not limited to the shifting properties, as the huge bleeding gap on her shoulder was not at all healing like it would usually. It seemed she could not rely on Lizard Luna for help this time. "Y-you're going t-to pay!"

Vick retracted his deadly jaws away from Luna's shoulder, laughing to himself. He stood back up and moved away from her again. "No, that's going to be you and your worthless family of freaks!"

"Whu- What did they do to you?! Leave them out of this! This is between you and me, Vick!"

"No," he corrected her. "This is between two battling families. And this... I didn't start this war, Luna. Lincoln Loud did, when he killed my family. And you, when you killed my brother Vince."

 **Below**

While Luna was busy yelling and being tortured, the vulnerable Louds played hostage to the other four fiends down below in the living room. With automatic rifles aimed at them, Lana, Luan, and Lily were on their knees, strummed down like prisoners of war. Only Lily had her hands busy with carrying her precious baby. The child sang its off-tune song of tears and whimpered for the audience. Lily rocked little Lincoln in her arms, hushing it gently while at the same time, trying to keep her own steady face. She was so horribly petrified that she didn't speak any higher or it would have been sensed by Luna and Lana. It was scary to cry due to these unknown bad guys possibly not having any hesitation to shoot them if any of them made troubling noise. After all, Lily had seen enough of these men along the way. And for all she knew, she might've been related to one.

Luan and Lana were nearly perfectly still, but their eyes were rolling around, scared shitlessly while trying to make sense of the pile of crap they were in. The essence of fear was back again to haunt them, and all they could do was nothing. Whatever this was, Luna was sure to have some good ideas, seeing as how the unknown party was privately torturing her, and it wasn't for being a pheno, otherwise Lana would be up there with them. That, and Lynn was nowhere to be found. Something dreadful had happened. Luan gulped at the possibility of a dead Lynn.

If only Linka was here, then there would be a small chance of resistance. The one time they needed her the most, and she wasn't fucking there. No one dared play the blame game in a time like this. There seemed no way out of this one at all. No Linka, and no Lynn.

At least that's what the sisters had believed up until Lily spotted the familiar red suit passing by the window. But Lynn didn't move at superspeed this time. Lily quickly looked down to keep her captors in the dark, still cradling her crying baby.

"Shut that baby up, will you?!" The guard closest to Lily screamed so hard that the child was now crying more loudly. "If you don't-"

A rock crashed through the window and struck the impatient captor in the head. Lynn jumped into the scene, breaking through the rest of the glass and quickly slipping her helmet off and using it as a melee weapon.

"LYNN!" The sisters cheered for their heroine who had finally come to the rescue. But when they inspected the athletic speedster in detail, the hope drained a little and colored their faces whiter. Lynn wasn't in her best shape, but rather cut up in many places, covered in dried blood on most of the exposed spots where rips and tears decorated her suit so devastatingly. Her face was just as bad. Her left cheek had a wide red gash, and her right eye swollen with a dark purple color. The worst thing was that Lynn was sweaty and way out of breath.

"Oh, God... Lynn!" Lily could not help but look upon Lynn with grave concern for Lynn's life.

Lynn had indeed enough of the fighting, especially as her speed was currently down for the count. The weakened Loud had barely a good compsure, only staring down at all four of the hostiles in front of her. She took those long-lasting seconds to gain even a little bit of stamina and rushed it, engaging into a rematch. She swung around her helmet and immediately began fighting all four assailants, striking multiple hits onto them as she could.

Luan developed an idea. While the four armed were busy blocking Lynn's wave of offensive attack combos, Luan leaned over to Lily and began whispering. "Get to the back of the house and hide!"

"W-wait, what about you?" Lily wasn't about to leave without the other two sisters next to her, or let Lynn have a fight with no advantage. "And Lynn?"

"Don't worry, just go!"

Lynn went on one knee when the other knee was kicked off balance. Two of the foes each grabbed Lynn's arms and pinned her down. The one struck in the head focused back at the captive Louds just as Lily took off with her baby. "Hey! Halt!"

The stunned Lana still remained a spectator, getting a real show when Luan lunged at the captor and tackled him. "You leave her alone!" Luan yelled as she dug her nails right into her opponent's eyes, easily blinding him severely. He dropped his automatic rifle and shrieked.

"Run!" Luan barked to Lana, before being blown back with a hard shove that came her way, slamming right into the wall.

The blind captor reached for his gun and began firing in front of him. Luan screamed at the clear sign of death facing her.

Lynn took the butt of a rifle to her face, revved up after the shooting began. "SON OF A BITCH!"

This was an emergency of deadly proportions. There was nothing else but only the one thing Lana could do, and that one thing was something she had hoped to never do again, since Lola was gone. "Luan! Lynn!" If she didn't act fast, they would be dead. Just... Like...

Lana first moved in between Luan and the blinded captor, knocking every bullet fired from the rifle. She paced herself forward, taking the gun and shoving it right into the shooter's stomach. He flew right into one of his teammates, distracting the other two.

Lynn found her right arm free, so she punched the guy still holding her right arm. "Lana, here!"

Lana performed a cannonball maneuver, sending the last guy right out through the window.

Lynn had her opponent into a deadly hold, gripping his neck tightly. The foe was frantically moving about like a dying animal. The sounds of tightening muscles was enough to horrify Lana. She turned away just as the snapping of several bones rang in her ears. "Oh, God..."

Lynn let go of the body and pushed it to the side, and then laid down to catch her breath. "T-they immobilized our powers, I-I don't know when- Take Luan and Lily as far away from here!"

Lana looked back to Luan. "R-right!"

A gust of wind blew Lynn's hair back, meaning Lana didn't hesitate to use her own speed. She was too damn worn out and badly bruised, so she closed her eyes to finally get some much needed down time. What she didn't know was that Vick was already on his way down, moving on the walls in his reptilian form.

Luna rolled until she hit the wall. She got on her knees and rubbed against the wall to help her stand. Glass shattering, a bunch of screams, and even actual gunfire gave her incentive to try and get out of her current predicament. What in the hell was happening below? She knew she had to get down there immediately. But what would Luna find? Her sisters... Dead? What she did know was that people were indeed going to pay.

Vick had left the door open as he stormed out to see the ruckus, guaranteeing Luna a passage out.

Finally had she managed to stand on both feet, and began moving towards the shootout. "LIlY! LUAN! LANA!"

On the way down, Luna tripped on the stairs abd tumbled down painfully. She landed back first, legs hanging high before dropping. She raised her head back, ready to stomach what could only be assumed was a pile of her dead sisters, surrounded by the lot of Vick and his men. Instead, she only saw a scene of most of his men having been downed, and the head of the unit himself was there in his carnivorous form, with his tail wrapped around the defeated Lynn's throat, dangling her in midair.

"LYNN!"

Vick shook his head. "I've been too lenient with you, so no more prisoners," he decided. The strain around poor Lynn's throat began to tighten even further, rendering Luna speechless. Lynn was dying, and there was nothing Luna could do.

* * *

 **AN: Uh-oh! Impending Lynn death?! Or is there a chance in heaven to spare her? Find out, and more next chapter, the stunning conclusion!**


	11. Outbreak, Conclusion

**July 10th, 2039**

It went just as bad as Luna believed it would be, but at least the other three sisters and her nephew were safe and sound somewhere she didn't care about at the moment. She was alive, but the same couldn't be said for Lynn. They were both given severe beatings up to the point they couldn't really walk since the others had gotten out clean, and both had accepted this as the price to pay.

The injured sibling was resting her head upon Lupa's lap, still out of it. Lynn had earned more of everyone's punches and kicks as she was the one to cause quite the stir night. And in Luna's eyes, it was quite a miracle Lynn was still left alive. But that was what Luna could not puzzle together.

As of right now, there wasn't time to really ponder why they were still alive, or why no one seemed to go chasing after the other Louds. There was definitely something Luna was not seeing, but it really didn't matter now. All she could really think about was helping Lynn as much as she could.

The two were locked away in the basement, only given rations of water and non-perishables, much like bread, chips, fruit and whatever else Vick found in the kitchen. As for him, he had devoured all raw meat he could find, and was now feasting on the corpse of the fallen ally Lynn had killed.

"Lynn, hey," Luna began, gently touching Lynn's hair. "Are you hungry again? Maybe thirsty?"

Lynn only budged her right arm, lips quivering lightly. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, signaling for water.

"Okay, I'm setting you down again, okay?" She didn't wait for Lynn to verbally respond, or motion a thumbs up with her hands. She set the shorter sister down on the floor, going to the stash of food left by the steps. Luna grabbed herself a water bottle and a pear from the basket of fruit. "Here we are..."

She returned to Lynn and placed herself and Lynn back into place. Luna opened the water bottle and leaned Lynn's head up, arranging the water bottle to meet up with her lips. Lynn began sipping down a fraction of the water, and then jerked her head forward. She was done drinking, and Luna retracted the bottle back. Lynn returned to resting on Luna's lap. "Let me know when you gotta use the toilet."

Luckily for them, they've only gone as far as to take some challenging number ones, in the back corner of the basement. It was all empty, save for the washing machine and three rows of hanging clothes dangling at half of the basement's height. The smell of the clean clothes were heavily at work combating the rising smell of piss from the corner, and combined with the warm air in here, Luna was feeling suffocated. There were no windows to break open, or a side door to escape out of. If they were able to escape just this once, Luna agreed to get a house with more strategic advantages.

Even though they were still kept alive, Luna could not help but believe that death was nearing. Vick said it himself when he was toying with both of them. "No more prisoners," those were his words. Maybe even now, he was just playing them into thinking they had something little of hope. Luna grit her teeth, blood boiling when it was certain that this matter of life and death was probably nothing more than simple psychopathic amusement to the Ventura animal. "There has to be a way out..."

Lynn hardened her body and made a nuisance for Luna. "Mmmm..." Lynn grunted silently. "Mmm-mmm."

"What do you mean no? Th-they're going to k-kill us. I know it. I'm not going down without a fight." Linka's mind cut back to Linka. "That idiot bitch, I can't believe it."

Was she the difference between victory and defeat? Was it coincidental that Vick and his men moved in to attack right after Linka left? Where they... Have they been watching the Louds the entire time?!

"I..." Luna looked away from Lynn. "I'm just glad... Glad that they're safe..."

Lynn opened her eyes, narrowing them at Luna. "Mmm!"

"If we die..."

Lynn was not one to accept defeat or surrender, so she bobbed her head right into Luna's gut, and then tipped herself away from Luna. "Mmm! Mmmm ruhhhmmm!"

"I don't know what you're saying..."

A moment ago, Luna was looking for an exit, and now she had flipped a switch and decided that all hope was lost? "Will you fuck off with that?" Lynn leaned up, still finding it a challenge to move and was yelling in great deal of pain. "Ah, it still hurts!"

"Lynn! Don't get up or speak," Luna mothered worryingly. "You need to rest, okay?"

Lynn pressed her hands on the ground and gave herself a push upwards, ramming right into Luna's bottom jaw. It was an ingenious but excessive move on her part, one that hurt Luna emotionally just as much as it did Lynn physically. Both of them dropped at the same time, with Luna petrified by Lynn's strike.

"Are you..." Lynn began crawling towards Luna like a paraplegic frantically scrambling back to the wheelchair they fell out of. "You're not gonna die, and neither am I! We've survived multiple hells most of our lives, and now that we are able to see new life, you just- You're giving in? You just said you're not going down without a fight."

"T-they'll kill us, Lynnie. We're grounded without our powers, so help-" Lynn lunged right onto Luna, having both arms on her shoulders and pinning her down. Luna was not resisting for shit. "Ow..."

Maybe Lynn had to play another angle. "Why you stupid-" She broke off and sighed, before smiling all of a sudden. "Oh yeah, it's too bad. Sure, we are likely to die, and you know what comes next?"

Luna's eyes went past Lynn and met the ceiling.

"They're gonna go after the others, and maybe Linka and Lucky. Luna, both our nephews will be killed, and they literally did nothing to earn that. Just think..."

Luna widened her eyes.

"Lori will definitely kill you for not protecting her son, and Lily... Just think of the pain she'd be in knowing you'd surrender and allowed for their defenses to be taken down permanently."

It began to bring back sense to Luna.

"Just imagine..."

A familiar urging motivation rose to bloom within her.

"A little baby..."

Her hands locked into fists.

"Dead for..."

Luna snapped back into place, taking Lynn's words into account. And the jock was completely right with what she sold to Luna. There was no reason to give up, even if hope seemed lost on them, and odds not entirely on their favor. They had to fight, because in this moment, in this very moment, what they had to lose was...

"...Nothing."

Luna finally triggered her morphing phase, opening her mouth wife enough and letting a huge roar. Lynn dropped back away from Luna and smiled victoriously. Lizard Luna was back, and ready to fight again. "WE WILL WIN AGAIN!"

"You're fighting for both of us, until my speed returns. I know what they've done to us, but it's temporarily!" Lynn pointed up towards the staircase. "Charge, girl!"

Luna raced through the door like a feral animal, and slammed into the table, immediately flipping it over. "VICK!"

Lynn took her sweet time going back up, just in time to see two of Vick's men come in and greet them with hostile intention. Another gunfire shootout was granted, sending Lynn back into cover. "Get them!"

Luna was currently bulletproof, so she embraced the flying bullets and ran into the rain of flying metal, going for the easy kills. Luna extended her arms out, swinging her claws towards them. The rifles dropped, initiating another close quarters combat. Before they could transform, Luna whipped her tail around the leg of one of the hybrids, pulling him down to the floor. Luna kicked the other away when her punches were being dodged.

Lynn jumped into the scene when she deemed it safe, and went for one of the weapons lying on the floor. She unloaded all the bullets into the fallen adversary's head. "Got this one! Move out of the way, Lunes!" Lynn had not complete practice with firearms, but she knew a thing or two while fighting those who did. "Hold him still!"

Luna used her arms for punches, and legs for kicking, but her current fight was proving to be tough. "What the-" It seemed this particular member of Vick's unit knew of Luna's moves and style. "Shit! Just fire!"

Lynn did so, but only had four bullets exit out of the muzzle. "Dang it!"

Before Lynn could go for the other gun, the matched foe circled back and kicked her in the face as she bent over. Lynn went down with a hard fall on her back, knocked out for the rest of the fight.

"Shit! You fuck-" Luna took a punch to her face, and was swept off both her feet. "Augh!"

Her opponent took off his mask to reveal Vick's face underneath. "And I didn't have to go lizard on you."

Before Luna could react, she took one of Vick's hands right into her stomach. The claws dug deep into Luna, making her squirm and fidget. Luna gargled out blood through her mouth and looked to Lynn. "Guhh!"

She could not be bothered to budge with the claws wiggling around her intestines. Never in a million years could she have believed that claws just as hers would bury themselves into her to kill her. At the very least, these weren't her own, so that was something.

It was her own fault, if it were to be blamed at anyone. Luna had not seen the connection between both Ventura brothers before this revelation that only played as a dark joke in Luna's eyes. Once upon a time, she turned down briefing to learn about the many foes the family fought, for she didn't care about who was doing what, for she had borrowed a developed ideology from Lincoln Loud, save for the bloodshed. She missed out on that fact alone, overlooked the possibility of a revenge scenario, and in a crazy world like this, you'd think she would know better. "You'll p-p-pay!"

"I've paid my dues for this. Boys, get the speedster!" Vick's two remaining lackeys came running at his side, and moved towards Lynn. "Put her back in the basement, we'll keep on breaking her until she can give us clues where the others have gone. As for this one..." Vick squeezed a handful of meat from Luna's body, making her scream, making her jump out and fidget. "She dies!"

 **July 11th, 2039**

Luna patched her wound since then, left on the kitchen by Vick with the expectation to either bleed out or succumb to her wounds. Neither had happened yet, but Vick wanted to make it a slow death as he was possibly able to make Luna suffer.

It had to be sometime around the morning when she heard distinct chattering that sounded like it came from the living room. Yes, the voices of kids ahe didn't recognize drew nearer to her location. And then...

"What the-? Looks like we've missed a party or something," Lucky pointed out, looking at the mess around the house. He, Lupa, and the pheno kids waltzed into the kitchen for food, when they spotted her. "Aunt Luna? What the hell are you-"

Vick made his presence known, crawling out of the basement after another attempt to break Lynn's hope and spirit. He left it to his men once he heard what he believed were the other Louds coming back to rescue the two.

Luna opened her mouth to warn the lot, but only a faint wheezing came out, and then gave in to just shutting her eyes. Lupa moved in front of the group just as Linka arrived. "Fuck is going-? Lupa, what's-?"

Vick stood in between the group and Luna, with Linka and Lupa readying to fight. He instantly recognized the two as creations his late brother had a hand in helping bring to life. "Why... Hello," he greeted with a low growling rasp.

"Get the kids out of here, Luck!" Linka bellowed. "We've got ourselves a fight!"

Lupa pushed back this unknown monster with an invisible wall, and looked to Linka. "You didn't tell me you guys were cloning Luna!"

"Hey, we don't know anything about this, okay?!" Linka went to the drawers and pulled out two knives. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Lupa and Linka had almost a synchronized mind when it came to fighting, whatever the situation was. It was basically like a magic show at work, and to some unbelievers, they could be seen skilled and coordinated to perfection. For Lupa, that was true with the art of using katanas and old-fashioned weapons. Linka, on the other hand, knew how to apply what deadly object to where in a human body to end a life. That, and homemade explosives.

Linka threw both knives into the air, and Lupa dropped the wall to redirect them both into Vick. The abomination himself charged at Lupa, as the knives drove into his face, slowing him down to block the attack. Lupa extended her arms out and then clapped, sending drawers, plates, glass cups and utensils to breach the monstrous titan. Vick wavered his arms all around, roaring frantically with the follow-up of a tsunami of crashing glass and falling kitchenware.

"Lupa, get me close!" Linka jumped in the air, getting a boost from Lupa's powers and landed right on Vick. "I can barely tolerate Luna, so you being here is only angering me!"

Lupa lifted the flipped table and hovered it inches above ground when Linka used her nails to claw and scratch at the humanoid lizard's eyes. The angry Linka blinded him in his left eye, to which he howled in pain and pushed himself backwards, pinning and crushing Linka to the wall. She lost her grip on him and fell to the side. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"My only regret is that it isn't fucking Luna," Linka admitted, crawling away. "But you'll make do, one eyed hack!"

Lupa plundered the table into Vick, sending him right outside the doorway to the basement. She had an idea just as Linka caught on. "Diversion!"

Linka got back up and rushed Vick. She ducked a flinging claw attack and slid in between his legs. "Set!"

Lupa picked up all objects from the ground and rebounded them back towards Not-Luna. _"Eye_ have a surprise for you!"

Vick took a shard of glass into his other eye, going fully blind. He took the shard away but dropped on his knees, slowly transforming back to human for. "N-no! I can't see, I can't fucking see!"

Rather than Lupa giving him a quick nudge with a flick of her finger, Linka did the work for her and tackled the formidable beast with great strength that they ended up crashing through the locked door. "Goddamn it! Linka!"

The battle-craving, bloodthirsty Loud was flat on her back, trying to lift herself up after that great ride full of nasty bumps and scrapes to her body. However much bloody she had now become, it wasn't enough to decide she was out. "Motherfucker, you'll-"

Vick's two remaining lackeys surrounded her, shoving their guns right at her face, close enough to poke her. "We've got her, sir!"

"Restrain that bitch! And contain this mess! We've got some new players on the field, so one of you go up there and get them!" Vick didn't bother getting up. He took the time to heal his eyes, which shouldn't taken long. "Women and their nails!"

Linka was on her knees, hands placed down behind her back. "Every fucking time," she moaned quietly, hit in the face only once by her placed guard. She spat blood back at him and laughed. "Take off your ski mask, cowards."

"Silence!" Vick yelled.

"Ha, who the fuck even are you?" This was the first time being introduced to Vick in ever, so Linka for sure had questions. "I mean, if you're gonna kill me, I might as well know, or I'll haunt you and whatever shitty kids your sperm helps create when I'm a ghost."

For once, Vick felt intimidated by Linka's hardcore words. He remained silent and relaxed as much as he could to heal faster.

But Linka wasn't finished yet. "Ha, yeah, I'd be silent too if I was beaten and blinded by a weaker girl!" She found it funny that she and Luna were evenly matched, when Luna wasn't the victor of some of their past altercations. The ones revved up for basically the same black and white stuff she would argue about with the others.

It was either that Vick had no real experience in his new form that played an essential part for Linka's fight with the big boss, or maybe it was something else that was likely deeper.

"Well, now we now you're nothing compared to Luna! Call it a fucking miracle you somehow managed to beat her! Oh, look at that!"

The unconscious Lynn had, at long last, gone noticed by Linka. The poor sporty girl was basically looking dead while strapped to one of the chairs from the kitchen.

"You could not have beaten her as she is! No one can!" If the dude was to magically confess or reveal something critical, it would be a bonus when he cracked. And he would, for Linka knew where the right buttons to push were.

"I said-" The malevolent Ventura gained incentive to put his own touch of sense into her. He knew much about Linka, but that was through words written on paper. Project Link's first creation of a planned quad of clones, built from the genes of the Venturas' murderer. He found great gratification in kicking her what for. "SILENCE!"

His man moved away to allow Vick his long-awaited revenge on Lincoln Loud, through Linka.

Linka folded over, dripping blood into her orange shirt, but she still laughed. "You ask for too much of me, blind man!" She surprised them both when she made a ballsy move; jumping right back on her knees, Linka kept her position down and headbutted right into Vick's chest like a raging bull. "Silence this!"

She expected her body to come in contact with a hail of speeding bullets. Hell, she actually hoped that's what would happen. She acted without giving it some thought, and of course, there was nothing to think right now, only do. But Linka kept resisting the enemy, even in the face of death. She bit into Vick's left cheek and bit off a chunk of his face, and spat it right back in his bleeding face. "Do you wanna know the difference between you and Luna?"

"W-what?" Vick felt disoriented, going giddy from his head hitting the hard floor with a great deal of pain, to the point it might've been fractured.

"You have no experience using the super serum!"

The shots finally came, and Linka turned to face the music. She had her two fists ready and welcomed her would-be death, but she only found Vick's masked comrade to fall down dead, shot from a floating rifle that Linka guessed had to be Lupa at work.

The Lucy clone came floating down like an angel, and took a look around her. "Jesus, what the hell happened? You... You really didn't know about this?"

Linka lost her concentration on Vick for a split second, shaking her head to Lupa. "No, I've told you. Just as I leave, this happens. I'm sure they're gonna be mad."

"I think them being mad is the last thing they would care about." Lupa kicked at the dead body of her recent kill. "Seriously, who the fuck are these asshole? And why does that one have have the ability-" Lupa found the severely tortured Lynn idly unconscious. "The Agency..."

Linka looked back at Vick. "We've got this one, and the other guy? A third one was heading your way."

"Yeah, was. I made sure he stopped just before coming to the second floor. All the kids and Lucky are hiding up there, but there are no signs of anyone else apart from Luna and Lynn. They could have gotten away, but..."

Linka dropped a knee on Vick's face, breaking his nose instantly. She cupped his mouth after a bloodcurdling scream, and then shook his whole head, giving him a dose of dizziness. "You've come here, to do what? Kill us? Them? Did you? Did you kill anyone?" Linka pulled on his nose, making him cry out through her hand, which was only muffled. "I dare you to bite my hand for a great torture sequence."

Lupa went over to until Lynn. "Hmmm, Lynn isn't healing. Is her speed gone? Or is this just another dampener at work again?"

Linka jammed her thumbs into Vick's bloody eyes. "What did you do to Lynn and Luna? Answer me!" She released Vick's lips and hoped he would speak. "Well?"

The defeated Ventura found himself defeated, and transforming again wouldn't be a winning move, but at the same time, surrendering in compliance was not an option. "I'll k-"

Linka punched him in the gut, taking the breath right out of him. "Did you and your gang break into the Agency HQ?"

"Maybe Lynn or Luna know what's going on," Lupa cut in. "We don't need this guy alive, so just kill him."

Vick gasped, bobbing around his head. "Wh- No! I swear, on my brother's name-"

"Oh, what's this about a brother?" Linka grabbed him by his chin and pulled his face upwards. "You seem to know who we are, so... You gotta be related to someone we've killed or something, right? We seem to attract those types of people."

"Fuck you!" Vick spat at Linka, which only led her to throw back his head onto the concrete. She thought she heard a crack of his skull, but shrugged it off.

"Well, guess he's no use to us. I can't tell if he's dead or not."

"Hold up, I have an idea," Lupa suggested.

 **Minutes Later**

They used the two mind readers to look inside of Lynn's and Luna's minds, and from there, they discovered who the leader of these unknown hostiles were, and everything Luna had been told while she was being given a beating from Vick. With Lynn, the picture was painted when the two were fighting all five new phenos, and somewhere in the fight were they exposed to an anti-pheno liquid dampener with temporary neutralizing properties. Lynn had to abandon Luna to avoid capture, when she figured out the chemical had run through her body. Lynn had gone far enough until it kicked it, granting her a living hell of a challenge to run back without her superspeed.

Apart from that, Linka and company had a load off of their backs when it was revealed the others made it out, and came as a surprise when Lana had used her own speed again, breaking her vow.

Michael had his hands on Linka and Luna's foreheads, transmitting the memories from the exhausted rocker to her, while Emily did the same thing with Lupa and Lynn.

"Yeah, I see them, they all made it out, but that was it. And-" Linka watched Luna fall to the floor to see Lynn being choked by Vick.

Lupa inhaled with her mouth, gasping lightly. "Ah! He nearly killed Lynn!"

"How many fuckers are there? Did no one think to check the fucking back-" Not only did Linka access Luna's memories, but she also heard Luna's thoughts, moreso about how Luna didn't anticipate imminent threats. "Luna, you idiot!"

Linka slapped away the kid's arm, and stood up from the floor of the living room all four were laying down at. "We might as well be checking if Carol Pingrey has any brothers or sisters to wipe them out."

Lupa raised a hand to Emily, signaling her to stop the transmission. "I've seen enough."

"Now we know, all this was planned, from the Agency, to here. Hostages, he kept them hostages, and even Luna and Lynn, when he said he was going to kill Luna. But she was still alive when we found her. Why's that?"

Lupa chuckled. "Its not rocket science. He'd do it slowly, of course. If I were someone confronting someone else who killed one of my family members, I'd make it a slow and painful death."

Lucky shivered at the thought of Lupa murdering someone.

"Well, yeah, but..." It was interesting to know that Vick and his crew had come right as Linka and Lucky booked it. "The timing feels wrong, like, they knew when to do this."

"Well, them watching the house from afar isn't out of the question," Lupa suggested. "They had to know about you and decided less opposition was luck for them."

"True, but..." Linka grabbed Michael by his hand. "Alright, I suppose we should take a look at his memories. He should know just as much to answer everything."

Lupa broke Linka's hold on the kid and pulled her away from Lucky and the kids. "Hey! What's the big idea, Lupa?"

Lupa made sure to whisper, but still had some distance between them and the brats. "What if... What if Lana broke her vow _before_ this? She ran, and I've seen it, but what if she was running before? What if it really _was_ her? What if-"

Linka slapped the Lucy out of her. "Stop with the questions. We are not a hundred percent sure if this is the case, but this mystery will be solved in due time. And as for Vick here-"

"I have a terrible feeling these aren't actually two separate attacks, Linka. Is it really a coincidence that Grimmtown was attacked by someone who threatened you guys? And days later, what to we come back to? Oh, I know! Everyone but Luna and Lynn are missing, meanwhile these two have been more than simply defeated, and by some fuckers whose family and brother died by the hands of Louds!" Lupa had carelessly raised her voice, making ab audience of over one person. She turned around once her rant was over, turning red with slight, rare shame of her little outburst. Her eyes met Lemy's own, only reading guilty all over. She sighed and looked back to Linka. "I wasn't... Strong enough to... Save them..."

Linka turned the blooming girl around to face the remaining phenos. "Look there, Lupa. Fucking look at these boogers. Look at the boy you have an obligation to protect." Linka pointed to Lemy.

"Y-yeah," Lupa lifelessly replied. "What about them?"

"Do they look alive? Do they, Lupa?"

Lupa slowly nodded. "They do."

"Oh, and why is that?" Linka pushed Lupa closer to them. "Why do they look alive?"

"B-Because they are alive, Linka. They are alive-"

"And why is that? Why are they here, with us? Why, Lupa?"

Lupa's eyes widened with realization. "So that I can protect them!"

"That's fucking right! And nothing will get in your way!" Linka's pep talks were usually a charm, just like Lupa's own. The latter smiled and gave Linka a nice punch on her shoulder. "Thanks for that."

"You just need to be reminded what you're doing, and for whom. Anyways, let's go see-"

Linka and Lupa heard a swooshing sound from the basement, followed by a faint flash of blue light. "Oh, no, is that-?"

"Fuck!" Both clones knew what this was, and their suspicion was proven correct when they found Vick had vanished through a portal, throwing their plans out the window. "Damn it! Linka!"

"I had no idea he had any T-Balls on him! Goddamnit!"

"D-Did you seriously name- Never mind." Lupa looked at her clothes. "I guess I'd better gp change."

"What?! At a time like this?!"

"Pfft, yeah," Lupa told her. "I mean, we've just won for the moment, and the dude retreated. Plus, I'm hungry and smelly so..." Lupa just pointed behind her and began walking out of the basement.

Linka just scoffed like a bitch and crossed her arms, staring at Lupa in annoyance, up until her stomach. "Dang it."

 **Later**

Linka threw all four bodies of Vick's unit down the stairs of the basement, but didn't bother cleaning up the blood stains. She found her closet untouched, mostly of the same orange and blue she was accustomed to. This time, she tried out something different; a leather jacket which was a Christmas gift from Luna, and with a gray set of jeans, she was ready to kick ass wherever it called for her to do so.

Lupa had rummaged through everyone else's closets, only finding a good purple jacket with a scorpion on the back, courtesy of Luna, and went to Lucky's room in search of pants. "Hope you don't mind," she told her speechless nephew.

He only blushed and eyed elsewhere as she slipped off her borrowed skirt, showing off a black thong underneath. The rising bulge in his own pants told a story Lupa didn't read. She buttoned it in, and moved her legs one at a time. "I-it looks good on you," Lucky stuttered out.

"What are you, fucking incestuous?" Lupa turned her head to look at her behind. "Do these make me look fat, though?" Before Lucky even dared answer, Lupa laughed. "I'm kidding, I don't care. Thanks, red."

The kitchen was occupied by all five kids. An even bigger mess was made when the fridge was scavenged without a priority to leave anything tidy. Leia had her eyes set on some leftover pizza and sprinkled donuts that were Luan's. Lemy had himself some warm milk and a sandwich. After he poured his glass, Leia took the gallon of milk and began chugging down from it. "Hey, that's not cool, man!"

Leia shook the gallon. "It's less than half full, Lemopath, ha."

Tabby and the twins had themselves peanut butter sandwiches, with spoons and plates going around like there was no tomorrow. "Leia, bloody hell, save us some of that!"

The ruckus was even heard from above. Linka and Lupa regrouped at the end of the hall. "We just wait for Lynn and Luna to wake up and we'll follow what they do, and hopefully they'll allow these extras to crash for awhile."

"Extras? This isn't a movie, or a comic, or even a story, Lupa. But yeah, I do suppose you're right. And that's gonna take awhile since they seem to have their quirks missing."

"No shit. Fuck, they seriously owe us for this. So, you can take down Luna copycats, who are bigger than her, but not the main one herself?"

"Oh, come on. He gained all that strength without mastering it enough for proper handling. Just another kid in a man's body who believes he's invincible." Linka cracked her knuckles and set her hands on the jacket's pockets. "With Luna, its evenly matched. But I'll beat her more times than the number of draws we have now, one day."

Lupa bobbed her head down the stairs. "We'd better get some grub before the pigs hog it all."

Linka raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure they won't even take half the food here."

"That may be, but we're all really fucking hungry, and so are you." Lupa wasted no time heading down for some food. Lucky came out of his room and followed her.

Linka smiled, but shocked herself when she remembered her leftover chicken she left behind might've still been reserved for her. "HEY, YOU DAMN DIRTY KIDS BETTER NOT BE TOUCHING MY CHICKEN!" She boomed down and joined the group in their feast.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

Vick ended up back in his warehouse, alone and still critically wounded. He lost the gamble, even when it was ensured that he would get his victory. All of them, dead. Well, almost all of them. The one person he was to spare had gotten away and returned to the Louds rescue, was the very same one whom Vick's secret connection had instructed he'd spare.

His whole team was down, and the damn lizard formula was used for all five of them. And it only took two girls to take them down.

"N- No!" It backfired so hard so fast. He had failed, and there was nothing to do but to wait for his unknown person who had given them the basic playbook guides for the Agency, Lisa's two devious empires, and the Loud family. His shot at restructuring the Black Network wasn't dead yet. That was his next goal after retaliation. But it all depended on...

Her, and she was there, and in person this time, appearing out of nowhere. He only felt a gust of wind, which was weird for him. "Huh? Who's there?"

"It's me, loser," the blonde woman said. It was almost poetic that Vick wasn't able to see her, and that greatly satisfied for the woman. "Holy shit, your fucking eyes! Did you seriously lose to the likes of them?"

"The girl! The albino girl in orange came back! That Link-A swine crashed our plans, and that's not all! The other white haired bitch and a bunch of kids were there, too! You said she was gone!"

"And she was, or at least it was going that way. So..." Blondie paced around Vick. "Lupa's with them, huh?"

"Whatever the fuck! My team is down, I need a new one."

"I gave you all there was on what do to, and there were contingencies if shit went haywire for all of you. Even _this_ was something you could have won. What you need..." She didn't have room for losers, quitters, or failures, so she vibrated her hands through his chest to stop his heart, growing fully intolerant of him. "You'll be sitting this one out, permanently."

Within seconds, the final Ventura boy was dead. The blonde speedster phased through the garage door and fled into the daylight, heading back to her home to plan a new strategy. _Celebrate your victory tonight, Louds, for tomorrow is another day, and anything can happen._

* * *

 **AN: Nope, it ain't Lana, but Linka and friends have yet to find that out for themselves. No, I'm not doing another Louds vs a Ventura barrage of arcs, so there will be no more of that shit here. I mean, in their future. Heh. Next on this fic; Linka, Lupa, and Luna discover a shocking truth that will pit both the Louds and Grimmtown kids up against the blonde speedster! Go below! Minus ultra! Next week will also be the start of new fic Five Rooms, by me. Until next time, readers!**


	12. Reverse, Part One

**July 13th, 2039**

For her recklessness, Linka was delivered a strafing run of words, shot out by the enraged Luna. She didn't bat an eye to both her and Lynn, both of whom had their arms crossed and lips flapped to reveal their teeth. Linka didn't feel the need to fight this time, so she just stared past them and waited for the end.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?! Damn it, Linka, all of us could've been killed!" Luna had the idea that Linka was really the difference to the Louds winning this round without having to lose the others in the blink of an eye. "You and your stupidity, Linka. I can't believe-"

"You're one to talk, Luna. You could have taken them all by yourself, even without the help of your tail. Even Lynn here had more fighting time than you did." Linka laid herself down on the couch, yawning casually. "Hey, I came back and saved your sorry asses, didn't I? Where the fuck is my gratitude?"

Luna just scoffed and looked up. "This isn't a game, damn it. You can't runaway like that, too. Do you not remember what the director's compromise with us was? As long as you don't do anything that would get their attention, you are given a free card that lets you roam around without being followed by a pair of handcuffs."

Lupa, on the other hand, had been eavesdropping for the last few minutes, undetected so far. She hovered around the kitchen, spinning around while listening to Luna's lecturing. Maybe Lupa should have gone to step in, but the way things sounded, it was way too serious and had nothing to do with her. She hadn't known about this at all, and only hoped the best for Linka.

"I'm aware of that, but nothing bad hapoened around me! This isn't my fault, though, and it's not like anyone anticipated this, okay? How could we have known these fuckers would come right after me and the boy took off?" Linka hadn't the right to take the blame, really. "It's your job to protect them, not mine!"

"But it's also my job to keep you in line! Will you please just-" In conclusion, Luna was done being motherly strict to the lost clone. She set her arms down, letting them plop to her sides and walked away.

"What? Just what?" Linka's eyes tracked Luna until the rocker disappeared from view.

"She's had more than enough of you, Linka," Lynn revealed. "And frankly, so have I."

Linka turned on her side, showing Lynn her backside. Here came Lynn words.

"I mean I'm grateful you did come back, and with backup too, but what's with these kids you three brought back? I know you said you'd tell us when it all came to a calm, but Luna and I aren't going to forget this anytime soon, so you might as well tell us." Lynn sat on Linka's legs. "And don't think you can weasel your way out of this."

Lupa flew from the kitchen and pounced onto Lynn. "That whole babysitter thing was not her idea, but you can talk to me about it."

"Ah, Lupa..." Lynn rolled her eyes, not so eager to see the blunt bitch again. "Long time no see."

"I never missed you even for one second," Lupa admitted, detecting the curtly tone from Lynn's voice. While this was true, the late Lacy Loud was basically Lynn, and, with the carried-over memories of Lucy bonding with Lynn more than a few times, Lupa actually found her statement to be false by nature. She patted Lynn, while trying to remember she was not Lucy, nor that Lacy was this chick. "So, I'm here for a Q and A."

"We can start by you telling me who the fuck those kids are."

At the very moment, all five kids from the dead town took the empty room of the missing Louds, while Lynn and Luna crashed in Linka's own. As for Linka herself, her punishment was crashing with one Lucky Loud in the meantime, which proved to be an odorous place to sleep in. Linka preferred this over bunking with Lizard Luna, however.

At the time Luna and Lynn recovered, no questions had really been asked. Linka guessed that their minds were still trapped in the concern for their other sisters, and their newborn nephew. She didn't blame them, for Linka was worried as well, but not in Luna's level.

She could really do without being a Comic Con panel, so thank God for Lupa. Linka closed her eyes briefly, and was spooked with an image of a crying Lily. "Ugh..."

"They're all phenos and they're with me," Lupa answered. No one needed to know about Grimmtown, for if word got out, the place, and maybe even the simple idea, would never be again. "I've met them while... Coming back home. And they, all of them, have none."

Lynn was more than a woman capable of winning nearly every sport known to man. She felt the off-tune tone that was usually Lucy's tell. "These are phenos, Lupa. Why did you bring them here? And What, just what did you think Luna was going to do here? Let them stay here?" Lynn crossed her arms and looked up. "Now that me and Luna are back on our feet, we're going to discuss what we do with them."

Lupa opened her mouth and hissed like a vampire.

"Maybe you've brought them to give them a home, and that's kind but odd of you, so I admire that, but you showed up randomly, and in a bad time too. I'm sorry, but you know I have to-"

Lupa attacked first, punching Lynn right in face. Lupa didn't break away once her fist made contact. "You are doing no such thing!"

To see Lemy and his friends locked away in cells and God knew what else proved to be such a future Lupa could not accept, and would make sure it would never be. She made an unspoken, secret promise to herself and the ghost of her late lover to protect his child and the remaining Grimmtown kids. "They will not be anyone's toys or prisoners!"

Luna cut in and pushed Lupa back. "We are not having a fight here! Cool off!"

Lupa raised fists to Luna, throwing that plan out the window. "Not unless it's for them, and I'll fight all of you!"

Her little display gave them both the theory that the kids had more sentimental value than Lupa was letting on. Lynn took a step back and rubbed her cheek. "So, that's it, isn't it?"

Lupa narrowed her eyes. "What's it? Get out of my way, Lizy!"

"Only if you tell us why you don't want us doing anything to them!" The two girls leaped over Lupa and had her outdone. There were two ways Lupa was bound to go down; either, her confession about being in Grimmtown, which would probably lead to the Agency rounding up the kids and having their way, as well as them taking over Lupa and Linka's secret mission.

Lupa zipped her lips, knowing she had been backed into a corner. Never too often had she dripped with sweat before, so of course it would be rare for them to see this as well, considering Lucy would somehow never sweat in such hot temperatures. Maybe it was the paleness of her skin that allowed her to bypass overly humid temperatures. Or so they believed, as Lupa was too nervous and mentally squirming, and it wasn't that hot as of yet. She lost her will to fight Lynn and only set her priorities on keeping lip to herself. "I just found them! There is no connection or anything, if thats what you're wondering."

Luna and Lynn kept their faces locked onto Lupa's. Then, Lynn just raised her shoulders and arms, seemingly accepting Lupas words. "Well, then if the girl implies they mean so little to her, then that's the case. Who could tolerate such brats, right?" Lynn finally moved forward and circled around Lupa. "The Lupa I know is not sugarcoated with kindness and selflessness. No, she hurts and doesn't even flinch..."

Lynn placed her face right in Lupa's ear, enough to kiss the latter's earlobe. "And you know what I think of her?"

Lupa, still having hands ready to throw at any time now, angered and actually offended by Lynn.

"She's just a stone-cold girl who-" Lynn was actually hoping to break either Lupa or Linka, and it worked as Linka flipped over and kicked Lynn in her pussy. Lynn bounced back, surprised only by where Linka had landed her kick. But that was it, and Lynn didn't need to go further beyond.

Linka took her place by Lupa's side, and shielded her with a hand, unknown to anyone if she was trying to avoid a senseless fight or to just have Lupa's back. "She doesn't have to say anything!"

By those words, Lynn and Luna got an indirect confirmation that Linka knew more than she would tell. The two sisters stood their ground, not trying to make their discovery obvious with a facial expression. "Well, we have plenty of mouths to feed as it is, so something will be done about this."

Lynn and Luna both agreed that the kids had no place here, but Lupa going out of her way to house them, that was actually, and surprisingly, interesting to them. Kids... Without homes. That's what Lupa told them. Was this... A personally motivated action?

"But..." Luna didn't want to be a teenage Lori, really. Not now, nor ever, but rules and the system worked for her. "Okay, Lupa, tell you what."

It sounded like incoming good news, or similar, to Lupa. She released her fists freely and pushed Linka's blockade of an arm back down to her side. "I'm listening."

"Only for a few days, say seven. No more than that, so find them a new home in the meantime, and-" Luna looked to Lynn, giving her a look to agree to the win-win compromise Luna hadn't the actual power to hold. This all depended if Lynn would allow the kids in Lupa's babysitting contract to move in for the week.

Lynn sighed, giving in. "Yeah, fine. Lupa, you take responsibility for them. I hope you know how to cook, for their sakes."

Lupa's shoulders drooped down, relieved but annoyed at the idea she had to actually do motherly things for the kids she only had to protect. If that was the price she had to pay to guarantee they'd never see tranaparent glass cells, then this was a small price to pay. "F-fine..."

"Then it's settled," Lynn reached. "There's bound to be an orphanage or something. I'm sure you'll find something, won't you?"

That was another issue on Lupa's part, but she would cross that bridge when it came to that. "Yeah, don't worry about me, I'll have something before the seven days are up."

Before Lynn could say anything further, the family was interrupted by the breaking in of multiple agents. They came in through the broken window, front door and back door, pistols drawn, moving to each room in a strategic position. A total of five had surrounded the living room, and six other agents were immobilizing to the higher floor.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Luna eyed around the surrounding agents, confused by what was ensuing. It made more sense to the four girls once Luan and Lana stepped into the house, with blank expressions on their face. The light of life returned to the faces of the four sisters, while the clones only gazed around, silently analyzing what was probably happening. Luna and Lynn kindly welcomed Luan and Lana back home with a group hug.

"Oh, God. Oh, my God, I'm so glad you're both safe!" Luna cried out cheerfully, holding Luan around her arms. "A-are you okay? Did any of those bastards hurt you?" She checked them both for any visible marks and bruises.

"No, they didn't, but t-they planned to, Luna," Luan revealed, still shaken sternly by the recent events. "He told me who he was, Lunes. I didn't know... About what he told me. I didn't know you were friends before-"

Luna growled at the thought. "Bullshit, we were never friends. That son of a bitch is going to pay for fucking with my family."

Lynn pulled Lana in and rubbed her knuckles on Lana's hair. "So, you all went to the Agency, and told them what was going on? Genius move, if I do say so myself. It's alright boys, we've taken down the new Ventura crew here."

Luan and Lana were surprised to hear it. No men in black, no mosnrers, but rather an unexpected surprise of Linka and Lupa together again. "L-Linka? You're back already?"

"Not by choice..." Linka whispered under her breath.

"What was that?" Lynn asked.

The Lincoln clone left it at that. Luan and Lana approached Lupa, finding themselves even more surprised. Luan opened her arms to undoubtedly hug the fusion of Lincoln and Lucy, but she was pushed away by the clone. "Save the mush, Laughy McLaugho," Lupa suggested.

"Come on, it's been too long, Lupa, and I still- I mean, _we_ still miss Lucy..."

Lupa only coughed as Luna's words made some heads wobble down, as if happiness had been drained from the world. She scratched the back of her head, not noticing Linka step back to give her a push towards Luan. Lupa would have tripped for sure if she didn't use Luan as the fall-breaker. Luan took this as the reluctant hug from her and smiled, returning it.

"So, what exactly happened? Where are those guys?" Lana asked Lynn. "Last thing I remember was seeing that you were really hurt and it didn't look like you'd last."

Lynn crossed her arms, remembering what defeat looked like. "God, yeah. They used liquid dampeners on us, like, an actual injection. We couldn't fight them as we were, so I lost that battle right after you all escaped. But..." Lynn studied Lana. "They didn't seem to know you were a pheno, for some reason, even when they knew enough about us. What's that about?"

Luna cupped a hand under her chin and rubbed it. "Then, does that mean...-" What were the chances that Vick knew that Lana was a pheno, and accounted for her to be someone who didn't use her powers. Somehow knowing that she made a pact for herself, something only know from... Within the family.

Linka had the same realization and had Lana under a tidal wave of suspicion than she didn't think she would have been. "Then it means they've gotten knowledge from within the walls here," Linka blurted out with no hesitation. "Someone is feeding Intel to our new enemies or you're really careless about trusting the right people."

"You mean enemy, Linka," Luna corrected. She turned back to Luan and Lana. "We've defeated four out of the five, bodies are in the basement."

On cue, the agents rerouted, most of them going to the basement, and one went up to advise his fellow colleagues.

"B-bodies? A-as in, dead?" Luan figured it would have been Linka's doing, and only met the clone's killer eyes to find the glitter of coldness within them.

"Yeah..." Luna and Lynn had gotten each one, and Lupa had taken the rest. "We should've tried to subdue them instead, but we weren't thinking."

Lynn looked away, huffing angrily. "There wasn't time to think shit through, Lunes. It was a now-or-never situation."

"You mean you-" Luan began, taking her eyes off Linka.

"Yeah, that's what we're saying," Luna confirmed. "Turns out we didn't need Linka after all. As I was saying, only one got away. Three guesses who that was."

Silence befell the Louds, implying that the danger was not yet over. "What now? Are we safe here?"

Luna shook her head, believing otherwise. "I'm not so sure, but things have just gotten complicated. We do have to report this with the Agency, and it's likely they and Lynn will go after Vick. But wheere those four with him the only guys he had?" Luna was already doing the math, carefully plotting out every possible angle and outcome for what she and Lynn would choose to do. "The Agency is our best bet to use as a means to hide under while this clears up. And..."

Linka and Lupa weren't likely to be onboard, so maybe those who were able to defend properly did not have to hide. That, and considering the other phenos Lupa brought with her might be just as powerful as Luna, maybe more, guaranteed the safety of everyone here was enough to make Luna stay. "Lily, is she over there?"

Lana nodded at the rocker. "She's in safe hands there. I think we all should leave before Vick makes another move, and we know we have no clue how he's going about it."

Luna looked upwards. "There's one problem with that..." She turned to Lupa, whom had caught on to the same problem.

Before Lupa could react, the agents from above were already escorting the Grimmtown kids out of their rooms, forcibly. Leia was going off at them, threatening to bite them if they didn't allow her to continue her beauty sleep, while the rest went quietly, confused and scared by the unknown they were facing. Lemy had the idea to raise his hands up in the air, despite no agent aiming a gun at any of them..

Lupa was dismayed, as her only objective was now lost as the kids had just been found by the likes of the agents. _Godfuckingdamnit._

Luan squinted, not believing her own eyes. "Umm, who are those kids?"

"Lupa's friends or something," Lynn stated. "They're phenos, like most of us..."

Lupa lunged towards the agents handling the kids. "And just where in the Devil's name are you going to to with them?"

"They have orders to take anyone who doesn't live here away," came a familiar voice. The mysterious, unnamed director of the Agency stepped foot inside from the porch, scrubbing away at his four thousand and something Armani suit, while his men had regular cheap black suits. "I should wear something more formally casual, but my closet only had this one," he laughed. "Anyways, someone explain who these five are, and where the men we've heard so much about are?"

Lupa quickly zipped up, stuttering on what to use as a lie. "Uhh..."

Luna and Lynn had to come to her aid. "The basement, but leader got away. These kids are-"

Linka had an agenda of her own. "They're phenos, sir. Every one of them, so I suggest you take immediate action," she spilled, with a hardened face and clear voice. This caught the rest of the girls by surprise, and managed to revv up Lupa even worse. "We've also taken down Vick's group, minus the man himself. He got away, and Lynn and Luna suggest we all, or some of us, stay at the Agency while our best ones, including myself, go out to track him."

"That's not at all a bad plan, Linka," the director agreed. "We don't have that much time for the paperwork and reports, so you are all leaving with us now. The bodies will be bagged and tagged for immediate identification, and we can cross-reference with all clues received."

"Sounds good, bro, but you might need to call in an extra vehicle or two for all of us."

"No need. Everyone, regroup at the basement, we'll set up a Matrix Portal back to the Agency there." With a wave of his left hand, the director and his men, still moving the kids in front of them, all swiftly moving into the kitchen.

Lupa had her hands folded tightly to the point her nails would pentrate her pale skin and release a mess of red around. Whatever it was that ran through Linka's mind, was far from helping Lupa and the phenos from her new home.

Lynn and Luna weren't really on Lupa's side, so they said nothing and let things go the way Lupa had nearly avoided. They, with Luan and Lana, followed the parade of agents. Lucky made his way behind Lupa, sleepy-eyed and yawning. "Where are they all going?"

Lupa didn't bother answering, only fixated on the stupidity of Linka's words. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you fucking kidding me? They're never going to see the light of day again!"

Linka had gone elsewhere, for she had kept her back to Lupa without turning around, not even moving an inch.

"Hey, are you listening to me?!" Lupa slapped a hand into Linka's left shoulder and spun her around. "You're gonna pay for-"

But Linka's expression, a content wide smile that revelaed a good set of white teeth, along with eyes that were squinting to signify a great idea, was a storm of surprise for Lupa and Lucky. Lupa didn't know what that particular face meant, but Lucky had known the implication of it all too well. "Not to worry, Lupa," Linka calmly said, "I have a plan."

* * *

 **AN: Why, that fiend Linka, crossing a line and giving up the kids under Lupa's care! How dare she! But... What plan be this of which she speaks? Worry not, all will be revealed. Also, there are seeds that have already hinted on what Linka aims to accomplish. Next; introducing the main villain of this story!**


	13. Reverse, Part Two

**July 13th, 2039 - Hours Later**

Just like the old Agency base, this facility had the same floor specificlaly designed to be the living quarters, but it wasn't the ideal floor as you'd see in a hotel. The only element built and established into the entire floor was made of stone, giving it a depressingly saturated tone from the beginning of the elevator shaft, to the end of the hall.

Eight rooms lined down along the empty hall, four arranged in each side, perfectly symmetrical. Luna and Lynn had met up again with Lily, happy to see her again. The baby was safe and sound, sleeping away on a custom, metal crib, built with over a hundred lullabies to help it sleep. Luna and Lynn both gave the infant a kiss each and stroked its face gently.

"After all of that, I'm so glad you're all okay! And I'm happy to know Linka and Lucky came back at the right time!" She sat in between the two, who held their hands with hers, keeping up their snuggle session. "I don't care what happened to those awful men, as long as you guys are safe and get them in jail or something!"

No one thought to let Lily in on what was currently going on, mainly because she didn't need to know about it. All Lily really cared about, and what they sensed she cared about, was raising the baby. Her baby.

"You bet we will, and any other who dares touch our family, that's for sure," Luna assured. "But don't you worry about that, we're all safe here." As she said this, Luna heard Lupa's scoff from the hall.

The short-haired albino happened to be just outside, back to the wall as if she was a cool kid in the 2000s era. Her left foot balanced miserably to the wall, jerking her left knee into a highly steep hill. She could've used a cigarette or maybe a tasty mocha right at the moment, and wanted to either burn or stab Linka for her idiotic, secretive initiative of the so-called plan she explained she had. Whatever it was, Lupa agreed it was not worth selling out the kids for. Leia, maybe. But not them. And totally not Lemy.

The Agency and Vial Corporation; they were not so different from each other in the end, with having the same goals, agenda, and the whole nine yards. Secrets of their own; dangerous chemcials, when used in human trials or even exposed accidentally, could create some sort of monster or psychopath in superhuman levels of danger; and then there was the pheno process, the thing Lupa hated them for, but she wasn't the only one to.

Luna was personally onboard for that opinion, where no pheno had to be watched over like a puppy, based on her own time in being behind the lonely cells. Of course, she didn't know how exactly it went down under the Agency banner, and neither did Lynn as of yet. Luna didn't need to make Lynn question her limited authority with the Agency, as much as Luna believed she, and maybe the two, both deserved higher.

Maybe someday, unlimited clearance would happen, and full-on access and power to do anything within. Why, if only she or Lynn had that right now, just so that Lupa wouldn't be giving anyone the cold shoulder.

And that was what Lupa had been reduced go, three rooms down. With elbows crossed underneath the back of her head to act as support, Lupa could not help but wonder what Linka seemingly had in store. Generally, she knew nothing about it but had known it probably involved something to do with either Vick or their secret enemy they couldn't speak about to anyone else.

Having enough of the being a peeping tom, she returned to her own room and had ended up laying in her bed as of now. She sighed the sigh that belonged to a gothic poet, a quality she had earned by relation only. Come to think of it, she wasn't that much into poetry, and was loosely interested in dark tales. She was more of Lincoln than Lucy, but that was made clear a long time ago. She had only just noticed the sigh and wondered if she had the right to even do one of the smallest things that had only ever been Lucy-like, and no one else's.

Luna dropped by, tapping her nails just outside the doorway. "Hey, Lupa," she greeted softly.

From the moment Lupa watched the five young strangers get escorted away, to God knows where, Lupa's face had taken a rare, sad form Luna had not even gotten used to from the main source. "I think I figured it out, but..." Luna had already pieced together the kids were of sentimental value to Lupa, but an estimate was unclear until Luna gained it when seeing Lupa distraught. "I didn't know you had some..." Luna wasn't sure what their relations were to Lupa. "Uh..."

"Save the pity, Lizy," Lupa coldly responded. "They're gonna go to some pheno detention, or some strict school designed for them, right?"

Luna hadn't the answer for her. "I'm not sure, but I can't imagine it being worse than Vial," she admitted. "They know most phenos are still people, and not... You know, human weapons." Luna was sure this was the case, but nothing was really known. Liby, Lacy and Lupa had actually ended up in cells themselves, but on account they were designed to be killers underneath the Black Network. Perhaps all the phenos captured by them were placed in another facility, and hopefully not mistreated or forced to be subjected to horrors worse than the Holocaust.

"That's... Is that all I am to you? A weapon?" Lupa could have never thanked Luna for being the barricade from death, in the form of a gun-toting Lincoln Loud. Maybe it was a long-overdue acknowledgement of the gratuitous act, but Lupa was still mixed as Luna wanted them put away in the belief they were more dangerous than Linka.

The short period of silence, where Luna's answer belonged, had told Lupa what she asked. Even then, Lupa had known it all along. She blinked once, keeping her eyes upward.

"Yeah, that's what the four of us have been made to be." Lupa was nothing short of an openly blunt version of Lucy who would never hold back her thoughts most of the time. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Luna had indeed been once afraid of the trio when she first saw them coming from behind the remains of their old childhood home, unknown if they were hostiles or friendly. The chances of them being failures like Lisa had believed Linka to be were reasonably fair, up until Luna and company discovered the clones had something Linka did not; telekinesis. And that made them unpredictably dangerous nonetheless.

But in time, Luna had grown to know all four as much as fate would allow her to.

She coughed, clearing her throat to make herself crystal clear. "No, Lupa." Not once had they ever had a heart-to-heart, so Luna broke the years-long streak. "Sure, it might've been Lisa's agenda to have you created to do God knows what, but you're not anything like she expected."

Lupa was not ready to hear the next few words, ones that Luna knew would hit a nerve. "I don't know what, or how you see the world, but... I stopped seeing you as something only driven to hurt or kill. Liby and Lacy were more than that as well, they were just as happy as we were able to be."

The names of Lupa's fallen sisters echoed through her head.

"If you're really asking me if I do believe that, the answer is no, Lupa. All of you have been given life, and that itself grants you the gift of being human."

Lupa winced, then blinked wildly. She moved her legs when Luna approached her bed and nearly sat over her legs. Lupa needed a break from the dark again, and right this second, speaking to Luna more warm and openly, had made her feel less of herself and more... At peace with herself. "I've-"

Lupa wanted to share her own thoughts, starting with the idea that she had never earned her place among the family. No, she had never believed such a thing, let alone this. The ideas and beliefs had always been carried with her since the day Luna turned them in to the Agency. Lupa felt the world was unfair, if that was how it would label them as. In all her plastic and false life, Lupa had never let her own opinions be known, and even then...

Linka. Linka was someone who she tried to preach to, once. They, the last two clones, did not have to be on leashes, dragged by everyone else until either the pets or owners died. Linka remained on their side, which Lupa did not deem mandatory. Lupa only wished Linka had gone with her, because Linka herself had fallen into a similar dark pit just like her.

"I've let-" Lupa wanted to say she failed again, as both a person and a tool of war. She failed them, and it had nothing to do with them being taken away by the Agency. No, she failed the second her attacker had bested her and knocked her out of the play, leaving the town more defenseless. Again, because the burden of two fallen clone-siblings had been always carried as something she failed to prevent. "I was supposed to be protecting them... I couldn't even save them."

Luna had been there, one time too many. Left and right, beloved sisters had fallen, all in the course of the same year. She understood Lupa's pain. "I couldn't imagine how painful that was to you, but I know that it was too much, because too many people we've come to care about died, and it's unfair."

"I wonder why, Luna. Why them, and not me? They were more full of life, unlike me. If anything-"

"Dude, don't even say it. Don't go there." Luna felt like Lupa was going on a guilt trip, and her arm twitched to impulsively slap her.

"I wish it was me who d-" But Lupa was cut off completely, startled by the party-crasher that was Linka, who performed a speeding slap and flipped onto the bed. "I'm not having this pussy-fest right now. Come on, Lupa, where was the girl pushing me to keep my fight on just days ago?"

Lupa wheezed, a little worn out from that particular card. "I'm not feeling that right now-" She didn't even seem to be phased by Linka's surprise attack.

"Well, maybe not you, maybe you do want to die, but none of them. Not Lacy. Not Liby. And your new babysitting kids, they don't want to die."

Luna wasn't that type of pep-talker like Linka was, so she exited the room just like that.

"D-..." Lupa sighed in a way that said she admitted defeat. "You're the idiot who did this to them. I should be trying to kill you right now..."

Linka placed herself right beside Lupa. "You're right, you should. But, let me just start with saying, I know that they are here-" She stopped and zipped her lips, remembering Luna's hearing range. She started again, shifting her volume to that of a mouse. "-Floors above, and we can possibly get some info if we beg Lynn to get some higher clearance. Or..." Linka pointed at her, and then twirled Lupa's front hair. "If they haven't talked to you yet, then they are probably thinking of what to do with you."

Lupa grew alarmed. "You fucking idiot! You mean they might put me behind-" Suddenly, that idea didn't seem as insane as it sounded.

"Can you take one of the teleporters up your ass?"

Aaaaaand now it did.

"LINKA!"

"Maybe up your nostrils, then?"

"Is this really your big fucking plan?" Lupa was expecting some genius and fool-proof, not prison-level intermediate. "I wouldn't consider this for any Supermax, damn it."

"I didn't have time to think between then and now! You come up with something better then!"

"As if I'd pull out something so gross out of my own asshole. I wouldn't even put my own underwear over my head for a dare!"

"No, I know its gross but... Fine, point taken. The mighty Lupa has her limits. Come up with one better." Linka crossed her arms and sulked. "No one would want to touch your ass-"

"-Except, you know, the horny men!"

"Not with that attitude, they won't."

Lupa growled. "Well, fuck you too."

Linka laughed. "There she is. There's the Lupa I know."

"What-" Indeed, Lupa had reverted to her usual tough and rough personality. "Heh, well shit, Linka. You're not bad at all."

"Now, let's not forget about the other problem," Linka reminded her.

Lana, or the new speedster in their hands. The fact that Vick and his goons attacked the second Linka, one of the three strongest phenos in the current Loud roster, had fled in her own journey to make her own life elsewhere. Someone had to have told. Traitors among the Agency, that was not it, because Linka knew Luna and company would never let them know. That, and Linka should have been placed in handcuffs some time ago. They didn't know, and there was no reason for them to find out. It all led to one outcome. Someone from the Loud house itself.

"You mean Lana? You wanna solve that now? Confront her?"

"I need the kids for bait," Linka suggested.

"Wait, what?! You want to use Lemy for-"

 **One Hour Later**

 _"Bait?!"_

It was him, him and the other four. All alone in some uncommonly, cold and high-tech room of blue and white lighting, almost identical to that of a hospital floor. It creeped the fuck out of Leia and the Fairchild kids, but Lemy was going full on explorer, actually going around the vacant room that occupied no othet but them, and was noticing all the details of its decour and construction. The floor and walls were not the same elemental material. "This is marble, I think..."

The room had only a set of two doors, closely resembling emergency exits in public buildings. Unfortunately, none of the kids could get through it. Apart from that, a rectangular shape of black was spaced out on the left side of the doors, taking up the entire side of that wall.

"Will you stop being amazed by this room and help us look for a way out?!" Leia had just wanted to get out of there, and far way from wherever this shithole was.

"Blimey, love, we can't crack an opening without our powers!" Tabby whined.

No one considered the fact that the blue lights flashing above was more than made to reveal them. "Dang it! I just wanna see my mommy and daddy!" Leia cried out. She kicked at the nearest wall. "I know you can hear and see us! There's gotta be some camera visible!"

Nor did they guess that the black rectangular shape was actually a one way window. On that side, Linka and the director were observing the children. Just then, Lana entered the fray, confused but casually, unsure of why she had been summoned. "Oh, uh... Hello!"

Leia ran towards Lana and did a check on her from head to toe. "We've gotta work on your fashion there, Super Mario."

"...Well, nice to meet you too, girlie," she simply said sarcastically.

"Don't mind her, she has quite an open mouth!" Lemy called from afar.

"So, you're all phenos, huh?" Lana wondered what type of phenos they were, and what powers they presented.

Linka crossed her arms, angry at the results; Lemy, or any one of the kids, seemed to have recognized Lana at all. Meaning the theory was wrong and Linka was back to square one with locating a suspect. "Damn..."

"Linka, what is the point of this? And why did you request we mute our in-wall speakers? What is going on?"

Linka had the cover story all worked up in her mind. "Phenos trust each other, and maybe Lana could get something out of them. Luna and Lynn are not valid choices for this, cause you know it would be like an interrogation."

"All true..." He considered. "Very good idea, Linka. If you were working with us, you might've passed Lynn's own rank and title here."

Linka brought herself to let out a little chuckle. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"I've to see them get shipped out to a training facility for phenos," he let slipped.

"A training facility? That's where these boogers are going?"

"We wish to make allies of these specially gifted individuals, and to accomplish that, we've decided to reinstate our original capture and detainment protocols for them, by turning them into ones where we are not seen as slavers. That's what Lisa Loud has done wrong in her time."

"S-so..." This meant Lupa wasn't at all going to be in chambers like the one she was bred in. "Y-you're-"

"And I certainly hope you tell no one else about this. Not even Lynn is supposed to know, but I know you'll do something different with that piece of information, will you?"

Linka found herself dumbfounded, but it was in a neutral sense. That was good news all around, for Linka and Lupa did not have to break in to any facility. But quite possibly, they might've had to defend it from the speed force that wasn't Lana. Speaking of...

Lupa entered just as the fair director had gone to return to his own busy schedule. "So, doc, what's the report?"

"Look there," Linka advised, pointing at Lana interacting with the last children of Grimmtown. "The way they're reacting to her, they don't even remotely seem to recognize her. It's gotta be that she's not-"

Lupa got angry again, slamming her fists into the dark screen. "Fuck!"

"We've hit a dead end... I know it's a load of bullshit, but I have good news as well."

"Oh? Well, get on with it, why don't you?" Lupa was clearly not in the mood for other news. Wait until she heard it.

"Apparently all phenos our unofficial allies here have captured aren't in concentration camps or shit like that. Director dude's just told me they all get shipped to training to be weapons working alongside them. I'm guessing they've been doing that and have kept us all in the dark. Don't you see, it means-"

Lupa had her eyes on Lemy the entire time. "It means they plan to use him on the battlefield, just like us. D-damn it...!"

Linka hadn't gotten to that fact yet. "I mean yeah, he's going to be their personal soldier..." That was good enough by Linka's standards, but she was no Lupa, and the other Lincoln clone had a different idea.

"He's not meant to be one. He's my responsibility, not theirs! They all are! We have do to something!"

They were unexpectedly interrupted by a horde of agents coming into the room they were watching over, and weren't sure what was happening until the well dressed men were escorting the young phenos out.

"HEY, WHAT THE SHIT?! IT'S NOW?!" Lupa merely tapped both hands onto the dark rectangular window, instantly cracking the entire thing. It was both impressive and scary when Linka saw it firsthand, and was way too close to it. She made one step back only, and did so as a jump. Lupa crashed through it, right as the last of the agents exited. "YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"

Lana would've shat herself if she didn't know Lupa was back in town. "Oh, God!" She was too startled for her own good, and had no idea what was really going on now.

Lupa bent the doors right off their hinges, letting them fall to their sides. "LEMY!" Lupa was giving chase, fueled by the right motivation, but with the wrong idea on how to.

"LUPA, DAMN IT!" Linka had no choice but to go after Lupa and bring her to a calm. There was no smart reason to make a move now. Linka was all in for some breakout in the later, but Lupa had to understand what really mattered; their saving from she who was likely to come back to finish them off, and then focus her attention on the Louds. "WAIT!"

Lana was left with not even the garbage of the scene. "What?"

Lupa entered into the long hall, awaited by the agents. They had stopped and given Lupa their undivided attention, pistols drawn. "Stand down!"

"Sure, just fork over the kids, or I'll reassemble your innards!" She barked.

The agents saw through her edgy threat and kept their ground.

"Oh, okay, I see! I'll k-"

"Lupa!" Lemy's cry, one that was essential to pulling back Lupa from the dead, had done its job. Lupa was otherwise a warmer, kindred spirit who only gave vibes about hurting people when it called for it, or when she had gotten upset with some poor soul who chose to disagree with her about God knew what. He knew Lupa as a woman who wasn't the soft and mushy type; Lupa was a strong ad they came, but murderous was not part of that rapsheet. "Y-you don't need to!"

He hope he reached out to her good side. The side he had spent with, every single time, every little moment that further bonded their strange friendship, relationship, whatever it was.

And he did so, seeing as Lupa's risen arms had began to plop down dramatically. "Lemy, I- I can't let this happen!"

Linka wasn't sure what to expect here. It could've ended in another bloody battle, and that's what Linka anticipated for Lucy-coln Clone. The darn brat with the stupid headband was defusing the situation. So Linka thought to help. "Come on, girl! Think it through! Do you really want to go toe-to-for against these guys? You'll just piss them off!"

Lupa was solely strained on what to do. You could say she was conflicted about the present ultimatum. Attack... Or stand down...

Attack. Lacy.

Stand down. Liby.

She made her choice; all the men armed with the tactical USPs went either to the left or right, immensely hitting the walls. They went down and were knocked out of the quick fight. Lupa levitated off of the ground and flew towards the scared kids, almost like a angelic entity. "GO, GET TO THE ELEVATOR. WE'RE GETTING THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" Lupa's voice was so booming, so commanding, and sounded intensely angry that she might as well rasped it out.

Of course, Linka was the only obstacle in Lupa's way, and she had almost achieved her goal here. No way in hell would she be stopped by Linka.

"LUPA!" She was fast, and would have made it to Lupa, but she tripped thanks to an invisible leg Lupa created from nothing. Linka broke her own fall with her elbows. It was sure to end up with a mark, not that it worried her. "NO!"

"I have to do this!" Lupa yelled back, in a clear but worried tone. "Don't try to stop me!"

Lupa and the little buckanoos were then gone, moving to another floor. "Y-YOU IDIOT!"

Lupa's heart was going off faster than she was accustomed to. It was probably due to the actual fear of the lives of five innocent kids being at risk thanks to her. All she could really do was hug Lemy as tight as she could, without crushing him. "Oh, God, I-"

"I'm s-scared, Lupa!" The boy displayed utmost fear, and so did the rest. Even Leia was shivering, holding onto Tabby's jacket.

"Don't worry, you can use your powers! The room was suppressing your gifts, but we can get out of this!" Lupa let go of her loved one, ready to lead the way.

They all ran the second they exited the elevator, and were halfway when the appearance of more agents halted them from the other end. "You there! Cease and desist or you will be fired upon!"

Lupa redirected into one of the rooms. "In here, quick!"

"This way!" Lemy repeated.

Lupa waited for them to get in, and once seeing this was maybe the last stand, she took the defensive and assigned herself to the entrance. "GET TO COVER, AND I'LL TAKE CARE OF THESE CHUMPS!"

"Right!" Lemy went on to hide- Until he noticed the contents of the room. It was what was in the middle of it that froze him. The life of his eyes faded away, and all the world's problems, as well as their own, had been wiped blank in his mind. "N-no..."

Leia waved her hand in front of his face. "This is no time for cold feet, Lembone!"

Tabby's face drained of its color the second she spotted what sent chills down Lemy's back. "B-b-Blimey... It can't be..."

Leia raised and eyebrow, deciding to see what the commotion was all about. Her eyes went from narrow to full wide, like a pair of toothpicks had pryed them open forcibly. They looked on, and they remembered the horrors of the fire, the familiar out-of-body experiences from the fully-fledged fear, and the unmistakable face of the pheno blonde who had conflicted it all. That same exact person was three, maybe four feet away from them, but was suspended inside a large, transparent chamber in the shape of a cylinder. She floated in some sort of greenish-yellowish liquid, floating around in fetal position, inactive.

Or so they thought. "L-Lupa!" Lemy was only able to cry once before the chamber shattered. The liquid came crashing like a wave, knocking most of the kids off their legs. Leia was the only one who missed high tide.

Lupa looked back. "I told you to-" Then, she saw it. She saw the blonde, awakening from slumber. The same one who had penetrated her body with only her hand. "You!"

The blonde was even more clearer this time, and Lupa noticed that she was wearing a suit identical to Lynn's, but the color scheme wasn't red or white. No, it was green and black. And that wasn't all...

"Yes, me again," came the voice of the Lynn lookalike. "Quite fun, right? Thank God I don't have the same voice as Lynn's, or that would've given me away sooner. That silly boy spotted me. Funny, I thought I killed you."

"Everyone, to my side!" Lupa ordered.

"That won't do you any good, Luc- Err, I mean Lupa. Run all you want-" And then she vanished before their eyes. Lupa winced before being kicked from behind. She fell face forward, hitting her chin and nose without warning. "-But you can damn bet I'm the one faster here. Allow me to officially introduce myself."

The Lynn clone had the kids scared shitless, and circled around them once to marinate the sweet taste of victory. "My designated name just so happens to be Link-X, a clone made from the extracted DNA of Lynn and Luna."

She smiled with great satisfaction at Lemy.

"But... I prefer-"

She proceeded to wrap her sinister hands on his throat.

"-Nnyl."

* * *

 **AN: Nnyl (Duol?) has finally come! While her debut marks here in this chapter, there are some later things that will be revealed around Nnyl and her doings around this and the past fic. Obviously, I can't say, for that is merely spoiling the fun of it.**

 **It remains to be seen whether I HC as Nnyl being pronounced like "Nile" or... Heh... "Nel." It might prob be the latter, and as a tribute/homage thing, too. It works for me, so go. Go pester Nel to make you more Lynn art. Or don't. Kek.**

 **Next up; the origin of Nnyl!**


	14. Reverse, Part Three

**July 13th, 2039**

Of course, Nnyl was only toying with Lupa's heart. Lemy was spared, but Lupa made no mistake, for they, even her, were on the blonde's hit list. Lemy choked and wheezed as if it were his final action.

"A c-clone of Lynn-" Lupa readied her hands.

"I suppose that's correct, but I'm probably the best one out of you sorry knock-offs." There was that Lynn flavored cockiness that belonged to no other.

Linka was already on her way up when an alarm had begun to go off. It was a school bell, but higher and louder. Being in there only made the hellish noise echo for Linka, but it was also likely to damage Luna's head in, and that was what Linka considered hilarious very briefly.

"LUPA!" She emerged, surmissing correctly that she was on the right floor as another wave of the tidy agents were running towards Lupa's location. "DAMN IT!"

It was quite the shitstorm up to here, and there was no getting Lupa out of it alive.

 _"ALL COMBAT-EFFICIENT PERSONNEL, DIRECT TO THE ADVANCEMENTS LEVEL IMMEDIATELY. SUBJECT L-X HAS BROKEN OUT OF CONTAINMENT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL."_

After the intercom's announcement, Linka had only one question. "What the hell is an ellex?"

Below all of these floors, Luna scrambled to her feet. "Sounds like an emergency, my dudettes!" The alarm almost overpowered her voice, but fortunately Luna had quite the voice. Thank God for her gigs.

Lily and Luan expressed worry for the ensuing events above. "Linka, Lupa and Lana are up there!" Lily frantically cried. "Luna, you have to go help them! They could be in danger!"

"Right!" Luna agreed.

"Be careful, Lunes!" Luan gracefully cautioned her.

What was going on? What was this L-X thing that was supposedly loose? Was it the work of Vick Ventura, back at it again? Was an attack actually happening right above them?

Luna raced to the proper end of the hall. There, she met Lynn, who was already set to fight. "Oh, there you are!"

The short jock kept her stance, even after the sliding shaft had opened up to let her in.

"Lynn, get in, it looks like they need-" Luna met the athletic sister's gaze, which actually shocked her. "Lynn?"

Yes, she was paralyzed, and her face, oh man, her face only read fear all over it. Fear, made from learning some troubling fact or from seeing an act of great wickedness.

"Baby sister, what's wrong?" Luna couldn't help but raise her own heartbeat at the sight of a terrified Lynn. "S-stop it, you're scaring me-"

Lynn then broke her physical silence, dragging the freaked-out Luna into the elevator with her. "It can't be, Lunes. It can't be..."

Luna was too mortified to even try to nudge Lynn off of her. "Can't be what? What are you prattling on about?" Something was giving Lynn the spooks, and whatever it was, Luna had but a dreadful feeling around it.

"I'm r-responsible for s-someone here..." She began. There was need for more context, and Luna didn't expect a hard tug. She returned it with a slap.

"Get yourself in working order! We have a situation, so you need to get your head out of your ass and come-"

Lynn went and pushed Luna again. "I-I'm so sorry..." And then Lynn broke into tears. "I didn't mean for her to be like this!"

"Her? Who, Lynn? Who are you talking about?"

"Our own clone..."

 **March 3rd, 2032**

It started with the revelation that came from the director himself. Lynn laughed at the joke, completely amused, until she was escorted into the room where Nnyl was set to be grown in. The chamber was empty, but otherwise ready to be used.

"W-what? You're making another one? Like, actually following Lisa's notes on how to play God?!" Lynn couldn't believe they were recreating such a thing.

"Yes, that is correct." The exact details of this new one was not known yet, and Lynn was not all for it. "You see, we consider you and Luna to be the two strongest phenos to have ever worked alongside us, and time and time again, the world had proven that there have been stronger foes it has ever faced. We want to be ready for that, should the time ever come that you are not simply enough."

"Well..." She was honored to be considered one of the best they had, and on the plus side, it could work better than the original Project Link clones, not that all of them were bad. The genes of Lincoln would've probably turned them all into angry, brooding women. That's how Linka and Lupa had turned out now, and there was no telling what Liby and Lacy might've been reduced to in their later years. "I'm not sure about this, shouldn't I talk to Luna about this?"

"We are not a shared corporation here, Lynn. What I do, I need not permission from anyone else. I have all the knowledge and ingredients at hand to make a clone. And you have the assignment to help the Agency train the clone when they step out of their home." That sounded so tyrannical to her.

"Oh..." Lynn rubbed her arm, unsure of what to say. The news came too fast, rushed forcibly, and Lynn wasn't yet processing it. "I...-"

A clone, another one, and bound to be different than Lacy's design, mind you. Another Lynn... Another... Child...?

It was only the planned initiating step of the process, and Lynn did not know what to expect really. "Anything else I should know concerning this clone?"

"It is too quick to tell, but we have a 67% chance that she will have superspeed without taking a serum!"

Lynn's eyes flared in response.

 **August 9th, 2034**

Lynn blew the whistle. That meant the darker brunette, in a smaller size tracksuit like Lynn's, and with only the name of Link-X, had been given to go-ahead to run around the custom obstacle course, made up of safety cones, tables either standing or flipped to their sides, and the volunteers of agents shooting where the hybrid clone was running. Lynn started the stopwatch as she blew her breath into the whistle.

Lynn could never have imagined seeing herself run an obstacle course. Not through the eyes of a spectator. The way it felt for her when watching the clone brought upon a great deal of satisfaction and a whole new level of pride in her physical accomplishments. The clone was, more or less, just as good as Lynn.

Lynnette, the name Lynn decided to give the clone, came to a drift and ended the run with a Lynntastical cheer jump in the air. "Time!"

The clone herself had a more girly attire, and it might've been a little too revealing; it was made up of a red turtleneck shirt, a white adorable skirt Lynn would never be caught dead in, red combat boots and the socks that came attached underneath the boots, longer than the boots themselves. But it didn't stop there. She had some leather gloves, placed for some comfort while fighting. Unlike Lynn, the clone had some bangs sticking out, but otherwise kept the original hairstyle Lynn had for the most part.

"Seven seconds this time!" Lynn held the timer in Lynnette's face. "Not bad"

"Awww yeah, I beat my previous time!" Lynnette dropped some bullets she pulled from the air at Lynn's feet. "I'm unstoppable!"

Lynnette was just as soft as Lynn was in the before time. The clone was pleased with herself, and hugged the original with wide open arms.

Lynn smiled in response and gave her a gentle pat on the head. "You sure are, little one. But I'd like to see you try to reach my Mach 1 speed!" Lynn was halfway to reaching Mach 2, but it took Lynnette a shorter time to reach the prior level. The clone was advancing at a rapid rate.

Lynn wasn't quick to overwrite and replace Lacy with this new clone, but Lynnette was more closer to Lynn than that of Luna herself, with only Luna's hair color replacing Lynn's light brown hair.

Realizing that had also made Lynn wonder if it worked the same way; Did Lynnette possess all of Lynn and Luna's memories? Did she have some sort of darkness in her? Or was it locked away, in the exact way Liby and Lacy didn't remember the fire and the post-fire events?

Lynnette, so full of life. Happy to be. When would she eventually wander into the dark by accident?

 **Later**

Lynnette was in her room, already going through some shit-ups. "Twenty seven... Twenty eight... Twenty nine..."

Lynn came in unannounced. "I see you're trying to be just as good as me," Lynn teased.

"You're darn tootin'!" Her spunky attitude and motivation surely was Lynn's own. "I can't wait to go out there with you!"

Lynn was taken aback, drawing great surprise. "Huh... Did they tell you that? Did they imply you were gonna be my sidekick or something?" No one had actually briefed Lynn on how soon the clone was going to be placed on the frontlines. Lynn didn't see a weapon, or a soldier, but only a young and innocent girl with genes that marked her not just a fused copy of two people, but also a pheno. And that girl had no right to be going as young as she was, out into danger. Lynn was kicking herself for not seeing it sooner. Something had to be done, however harsh it was for Lynnette.

"No, but I overhead them saying so. And something about..." Lynnette came to a halt there. And that's where the mood shifted without warning. The enthusiastic joy in Lynnette's voice washed away, only to be replaced by a soothing, quieter whisper. "They said I'm... I'm an imitation of you..."

"W-what? How dare they?!" But Lynn knew better. She wasn't against the idea that little Lynnette was nothing more that a simple creation of science, but that didn't make her to be someone in the shadow of Lynn, forever fated to remain there. That didn't mean Lynnette had no life beyond being a human toy at their disposal. "You're not, I swear!"

The lie had to be said so that Lynnette had something to go with. Is this... Was this something that Lacy had felt once before? She and that dead clone were never close enough, but Lynn had gotten the idea that, Lacy being of Lynn's own DNA, had made her personality to be like her own. Never had she considered there was more underneath the surface. But that mistake was not to be repeated here.

"You're me, in every possible way you were meant to be," she consoled. But those proved to be the wrong words in this case. Lynn only wanted to prove she wasn't a cheaply made bootleg, and she wasn't. But Lynnette heard something else entirely.

"Meant to be...? Then, I was only c-created-" Lynnette had everything carried over from Lynn. The strengths, the weaknesses, and all the buried and surface memories, ranging from her dark childhood past, and right to the death of the last Loud to meet their maker. She knew she wasn't the real Lynn, and couldn't really call herself number two, for she felt Lynn gave that title to Lacy for a reason, when it wasn't Luna for another reason. "-To never surpass you nor Luna."

Lynn let out a gasp. "Y-you don't have to prove yourself, okay? You don't, because I know you are a kickass fighter, and one day you'll-"

"I hate you..." The silent whisper was less than a breeze, equivalent to the flaps of a set of butterfly rings, but they did some crucial damage, almost like a thunderstorm, that rang in Lynn's ears. She wasn't sure at the time why it hit her, but it only took days to realize that Lynnette resembled the child Lynn could never have, and Lynnette was more closer to being such a thing that Lacy herself.

Lynn was not at fault here; the dumb Agency had a knack of throwing around words like phenos were basically slaves, puppets they could use, with no concern for their own morality. Lynnette, who was excited to to out into the world to take her power to a higher degree, opened up to a new view of what they perceived her to be.

Lynn was number one in that department, and the dead Lacy was made for second place in being a Lynn successor. Where did Lynnette fit in? Could she be the third? The equation left Luna out, even though she had her own DNA running through Lynnette's bloodstream. Not one, but three people to surpass, in Lynnette's eyes.

The best. The clone wanted to be the best, thanks to the mindset that was carried over from Lynn's splice.

They exchanged looks; Lynnette shot knives at her, letting Lynn know she was one day going to be number one, in any way it meant for her to achieve it. And in response, Lynn was gradually concerned, still insisting to help train her. Lynn found herself protective snd caring for the clone, more than she had for anyone. "You don't mean that, do you?"

"I'll beat you one day, _mother..._ " And Lynnette knew that the best way to go beyond was not to remain as a mere pupil, but to become a rivaling power. And perhaps, she would have had to go reverse, to make it go backwards. "I want to train alone, if it's all the same to you," Lynnette added.

 **Now**

"A clone?! A clone made from us?! Here?!" Luna was freaking out about it, the natural response Lynn expected. "That's what this Link-X being is?!"

Luna had every right to be screaming and be demanding for all sorts of answers. She felt guilty for it all, and not doing anything that would have benefited them from this inevitable attack. "I tried... I tried to play mother to her..."

"And all she cares about is being top dog, right? Lynn, there's always been more than winning! I thought you'd understand that! Couldn't you try and teach her that?"

Lynn shook her head. By then, they were already on the Advancements floor, and the long hall appeared before them. Linka was there, standing ten feet in front of them.

"I tried to, Lunes. I tried to..."

 **October 12th, 2034**

Lynnette was actually punching through the custom cardboard targets and breaking them impulsively. She made quite the mess while ripping whatever she could get her hands on apart, and kept going until none were left standing. She wasn't tired, and hadn't broken a sweat when Lynn interrupted the session. "Hey, you..."

Lynnette wasn't exactly joyous to see the better original. "What do you want?"

Hostility. That was new. "I'm just checking up on you, I'm still the one who reports your rising progress here. And by the look of things, you're..." She kicked away at some ripped up pieces of cardboard underneath her feet. "Is something the matter?"

Lynnette had really nothing to prove, but that was what Lynn believed. Maybe she did need to, otherwise, why had she been created? There was no point in being a hybrid clone if she wasn't going to make the ranks. In other words, this was an assessment, and she would have to throw a great show just for them.

"Actually..." Lynnette was more than ready to head into the field. "I'm just waiting to be given a mission," she admitted.

 **October 18th, 2034**

It started as a capture mission. A hostile teenage pheno had been going around numerous towns and causing heavy damage property and already had a huge kill count. Both Lynn and the clone were dispatched to apprehend the murderous pheno, who had holed up in a closed-off unstable apartment due for demolishing.

Lynn was giving the orders at the time. "Just wait for me here, this should be easy."

"Like hell I will," the clone rebelled. Her move was going into the building to have a piece of the action. Lynn followed the red zigzagging line, trying to contain contact.

The details were murky, as it happened that long ago, but Lynn remembered how it ended. And it didn't end in their favor. But she remembered what Lynnette was holding in her hand when she arrived. Their target's head was running blood through Lynnette's palm as if it were a fountain. She had done against protocol by a mile.

Lynn was shocked, furious, and worried all at once when she gave the report back to the director. She didn't plan to blame the clone for the unnecessarily excessive method, but the director was not Lynn Loud.

"Clean up that girl's act, or we'll have to do something about her," he warned. "Speaking of her, there is something I must declassify about her physical well-being."

After that came the surprise reveal that Lynnette was going to grow at a rapid rate, and in a matter of a few years, she would reach Lynn's age and height. "Y-you're saying she'll die before she has twenty years living on this planet?"

"More or less, and that's not all... It appears she is expected to become stronger than you and Luna combined by the time she is of mature age. So..."

 **Now**

The two sisters regrouped with Linka. "They put her away, not long after. They were afraid of her, after her graphic display of how she handled that pheno."

Luna was sweating nervously, careful to take each step quickly. "She, this Lynnette clone, she could be even stronger than us now?!"

Linka looked back at them, hearing so very little. "What's this about a clone?"

Lupa tried her best, but Nnyl was too fast for her to lock on to. All that happened was her receiving kicks and punches without stop. "Uck!"

"Silly little pheno, you can't possibly hope to win."

Lemy was the only one hopelessly watching his caretaker getting brutally beaten as Leia rerouted the others away from them. They moved deeper into the room, trying to hide behind desks and cabinets in the long room. "Hey, we have to help!"

"Are you bat-shit crazy?! She'll kill us all! Fucking hide until she thinks we've left!" Leia had quite the mouth on her, despite being a child.

Lemy began to undress. "I'm going to help Lupa!"

Leia hiccuped and covered her eyes. "Hey, there's women here!"

At last, Lemy had finally gone invisible. "You're only girls as of yet! Just stay put!"

Linka was skeptical about the wrapped-up story Lynn had just explained. Without thinking about it, Linka rushed into the room, crashing the pain party and disrupting it. "Hey, you! Secondary Lynn!"

Nnyl was distracted for that one second. Below her, Lupa was trying to catch her breath and crawled away from the green speedster. "Ah... Linka, right? We've never met officially."

Luna and Lynn appeared behind Linka, both of them blocking the doorway. "Lynnette! Stop this! Stop this now!"

Just like before, just like that one time then-named Lynnette had given her that death glare, Nnyl made that face again. The big two were there, and her priority changed from Lupa to them. "You!"

Lemy managed to creep up on her and pushed her with all his strength. Nnyl lost her balance, and Linka found her shot. So did Lynn. They dashed forward, with Lynn passing Linka mercilessly. "She's mine!"

"Hey, no, she's-" Linka grew angry again. Nnyl belonged to Lupa to kill on the spot. First they had to defeat her.

Linka didn't know how strong the clone was, and was just finding out things were easier said than done; Nnyl proved to be faster than Lynn when she pushed passed her like nothing. Linka was startled and then went for a ride that made her hurdle through the air. She made a few flips before landing right over Leia's hiding spot.

"Ha, how's that for some serious power?" Nnyl laughed. Luna was still holding her ground, not sure if she should try and attack. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Luna's ugly tail came wriggling out of her back. "Lynn says you're part me. If that's true, can you transform?"

Nnyl lost her enthusiasm and smile after that. "Hmm... I've never tried to completely, but this superspeed is a power I consider more godly than being able to grow a tail at will!"

"I'm not just talking about a tail!" A roar followed, and then her signature beast form bulked out from the tiny rocker's body. "Can you match me now?"

What followed next was the unimaginable pain; Luna tried to bulge out the thing that had struck her in the chest and kept poking through. Her heart, that's what she really grew scared for. The blood only came seeping out of her mouth. "Wh-what...?"

Nnyl had some gratification in seeing Luna's terribly confused face, completely unaware of what happened. She kept her hand on the inside of Luna's chest, moving it around and feeling all the carnage she was able to, before she found the beating organ she knew was the heart. And she toyed with it. Squeezed it. Grabbed it. Vibrated around it. Stopped it.

Nnyl stopped Luna's heart.

Lynn had barely picked herself up, and fell back to her knees after seeing the dying Luna fall over to ger side. Those yellow eyes of Luna weren't looking at anyone or anything at all. They stared past Lynn, who in turn had cupped a hand over her mouth and understood the horror of Nnyl's actions.

The life drained away from her eyes, and Nnyl was laughing maniacally, all while Lynn started mourning for another dead Loud sister.

* * *

 **AN: Oh, no! Luna Loud, the best rocking sister, has reached the end of her life timer! How will Lynn and company take on the powerful Nnyl?! Can they even hope to win this battle?! Find out next time on 2039!**


	15. Reverse, Conclusion

**November 28th, 2034**

Lynnette had improved gradually, and Lynn had still pride for the fused clone. It was a shame that Lynnette wasn't able to meet any of the other Louds, for her existence was made to be secretive. She wasn't sure if Lynnette had figured out that no one would meet her. Perhaps she did, and that might've been one of the reasons Lynn was being given the silent treatment. The poor clone was being alienated, and ignoring Lynn was irony.

She saw herself every goddamn time she would eye Lynnette go off to attain physical perfection. It was like looking at a mirror. Maybe this was how mom and dad had seen Lynn as she grew up. No, she didn't want to think about that. And neither did she want to think about being there when the time to put Lynnette away for good had come. That time was now, and Lynn somehow watched from the surveillance rooms.

They came into Lynnette's room and shot her with tranquilizers. She was hit with three, which should have been more than enough for a regular person, but Lynnette didn't go down that easily.

"It has to be me to put her to sleep!" Lynn declared, and ran to meet her clone.

Lynnette had thrown around the agents surrounding her, and had received two extra darts to her back. It was by then that she felt drowsy but had no intention to stop. "What are you doing to me?! Where is Lynn!?"

Right on time, the main speedster came hugging her. "I'm here, I'm here!"

Lynn wasn't getting love from the clone anytime soon. "What's happening?! Why are they attacking me?!" Lynnette felt that Lynn had some answers for her.

And Lynn did and began sharing with no lie to tell. To sum it all up, Lynnette was going to a lonely place for God knew how long, and that terrified her. "Wh-what? No, I can't be going! I won't! I'm going to destroy all phenos, so don't get in my way!"

"Lynnette..." They made another Lincoln-level murder weapon, and now they had to lock it away. It was as simple as that, except to Lynn. There was more, there was always more, and Lynn didn't get it all. But she got enough; Lynnette wasn't getting it through her head. The victor complex overpowered her humanity. The necessity to have a valid reason to be, other than some copy who would get nothing but the scraps. A copy who could never amount to anything close like those she had been modeled after. Then came the family, who would probably think of her like an abomination. She knew how the other clones were treated, and that was what she feared a whole lot. A copy who didn't think she could be more than what she was made to do or be.

That's why she figured, in the last moments of stepping foot on free ground, that to beat Lynn and Luna in due time, wasn't to do so as ally to them, but to be a rival of the two. An enemy, a foe. A villain equal but also the opposite of Lynn. Nnyl. Yes, Nnyl was a good name. And no more of that borrowed red and white.

Nnyl. Lynn's name in reverse.

Lynn was the one who placed her in the chamber. "I- I'm sorry, Lynnette-"

"Screw you! I can do better than you, I know I can! That's it, isn't it?! You're putting me away because it'll only be too easy for you all, huh?! I'll get you, once I destroy all phenos! Once I complete my primary mission! And then I'll come for you and your family!"

Lynnette's raging rant ended with her being submerged in the green-yellow liquid. She gargled through it, only making some indistinct sounds and bubbles. She banged upon the glass, still having her eyes on Lynn.

The hatred was never lost on Lynn. Those eyes... Those damn hazel eyes.

 **Now**

And those eyes have changed to the gray and red Lynn had never seen before. Not only that, but the clone had modified her suit and physique in a time Lynn knew not when. "H-how did you get out?!" If she were to die, she wanted to die with some answers.

Such a fiend had never existed before today, and seeing the new Lynnette face-to-face was indeed a frightful sight. Her body, more than overwhelmed with great levels of high-octane adrenaline that pumped everywhere, kept her down and locked on her knees. She also wanted to know why exactly her reasoning was behind killing Luna. "What do you want from us?!"

Nnyl laughed and zoomed right in front of Lynn. "It's just a game I've gotta win," the clone answered.

"W-what?" Lynn leaned back, and went for a kick. "This isn't a game!"

Nnyl saw it coming and went around Lynn. She picked her up and had her in a chokehold. "I say otherwise, and I'm entitled to human rights, like you."

Lynn didn't understand at all. To think Nnyl had every single moment where they went through the pain, the loss, and the everlasting dive back into the sea of darkness. It was more than enough to avoid that, and it made sense to. But Nnyl, or Lynnette, or whatever she wanted to be called, she apparently lacked some bit of humanity, which had led her to choose her desperate need to win over being a part of something meaningful. She threw her short-lived bond with Lynn long ago, but Lynn kept hope alive.

But Nnyl was no longer the enthusiastic jock Lynn had known. A blonde who looked like a demon worshipper, was standing where Lynnette was due. "Your face, I like what it tells me," Nnyl continued. "Long ago I've told you, but I guess you need a recap. And for the others here, it's essential that they listen. So..."

She somehow sensed Lemy come from behind her a second time, so Lynn was dropped back down so that Nnyl could block Lemy this time. "I can smell you, boy."

Luna's body was in eye range, and Lynn helplessly began moving towards her dead body. "S-sis... Luna, get up!"

Nnyl threw Lemy to where Linka had fallen over. She broke his fall just as she got up, making her go down again. "Ow, what the-?!"

"Luna! Get up!"

"Lupa! Get up!"

Luna was still dead, and Lupa was way out of commission. Linka pushed the naked, invisible boy off of her. "Get your little friends to help us, now, will you?!"

Lynn kept receiving the swinging Nnyl kicks mercilessly. She was flipped on her back, taking various points of damage. Her legs, her pelvis, and her stomach were Nnyl's point of attack. "You don't know what it feels like to know that your life is already someone else's, to know that your own life has been written. All these memories are not of my own! I can't expect to be my own champion as long as you live. I don't want to be below number one to you! I don't want the name Lynnette! It's Nnyl now!"

And as Nnyl explained, Lynn was positive she saw a small glimmering of her eyes, as well as an expression from Nnyl, that was familiar to pre-Nnyl's own when a word was thrown on her as a label. An imitation. A thing living on someone else's legacy. Borrowed life.

"It was you who told me that. I remember it all too well, Lynn. I remember you telling me that I was created to be your equal. They only wanted a weapon out of me. What about you? What did you want from me?" She kicked Lynn again, undoubtedly angry at her.

"I- I lost..." Lynn wanted to use Lacy's good name to justify her reasoning for wanting Lynnette alive. In a way, Nnyl was Lynn's own sin that she had never objected to. Being told that there was going to be a clone of her and another sister, and the blind Lynn Loud took the chance to play mother again. "I didn't spend enough time w-with-"

Lupa figured out where Lynn's direction was going before the name was spoken again.

Nnyl ceased her brutality to clearly hear Lynn's confession. "With?"

"Lacy..."

Hearing the name hit Lupa harder than any of Nnyl's combos, especially because of the context it was used in. "H-hey..." Lupa leaned up to sit, still breathing heavily. "Don't you dare!"

Lynn and Nnyl eyed towards the sulking Lupa's direction.

"Don't you dare use Lacy as part of the excuse to justify this piece of shit's creation!"

"Come again?" Nnyl walked over to Lupa, but a scream coming from above got the drop on her.

Leia came floating down fast, and jumped on Nnyl's back. "You hurt my Lemy! You hurt my man!" She scratched away at Nnyl's face, leaving red lines all around.

"Agh! Get off of me, child!" Nnyl spun around a few times. Still, Leia did not break grip. "Oh, okay, let's see how long you can handle the bull! Don't let go!" Nnyl went at full speed with her spins, which was sure to leave Leia dizzy on unimaginable levels.

"LEIA!" Lemy had stopped dead in his tracks, only a few feet away from Nnyl. Their tag-team takedown plan had backfired just as it commenced. Leia was to distract her long enough so that Lemy could try his stealth moves a third time, despite it having failed him the second time he tried that. Still, it was better than doing nothing, and Leia had kick-started her adrenaline the more closer the hand of danger reached out.

Nnyl figured the blonde had gotten enough of a giddy ride. She stopped and jerked herself back. Leia fell back without a sound, and at first it seemed like she was just too disoriented to be mobile, but that wasn't it. Lemy was the closest one to see Leia; her face had flushed into a cold blue color, and the perfect blue eyes of hers were stained with a reddish color, moist and flowing with rivers of tears. The worst part was realizing that she was dead before dropping.

"L-Leia?" Lemy bent down to inspect closely, but Lupa had by then mustered the strength to push herself closer to Leia's corpse. The body parts where she wasn't supposed to be moving were where the invisible boy was drastically trying to wake her. Lupa found her way to one of his arms and pulled him into a hug. He didn't give up, even when he knew her loving comfort was clearly saying otherwise. "Why won't she wake up?! LEIA!"

"Pipe down! You're making more of a racket than the last time I've seen you!" Nnyl remembered the unexpected the variables that had put a dent in her plan. "Wait, that's right! Lupa and these kiddies survived Grimmtown, did they?" She found it funny. "I see, I see it now. You and Linka came back here to try and find and kill me, right? And what should you find but Vick Ventura and his ragtag goons holding them hostage, on my command?"

Linka pushed herself off of the tall black cabinet that broke her fall. The damn thing made her back sting like fuck, and moving around wasn't the best plan. It was her will that proved tougher to break, when it wasn't her body. "So, it wasn't a coincidence! It was you pulling the strings! You were behind everything this whole time! Lupa's gonna make you pay for the destruction of Grimmtown!"

"Grimmtown? What is that?" Linka was basically dropping in vague facts around Lynn, making Lynn suspicious of her and Lupa alike. "What are you t-talking about?"

Nnyl went over to the kids playing hide and seek. "Lupa and Linka didn't come back just for the fun of it, my dear mother." The frightened Tabby was concealed underneath a desk, with only her silent whimpering betraying her position. "They've come back home to find me after I left a pheno safe haven in absolute ruins. These kids are from that place, and as such..."

Nnyl pulled Tabby out of her hiding spot. "I've been made to end the threat of such beings. Why, was that not the reason I was created for in the first place?"

"M-mom, I want my mom!" Tabby shrieked.

"Beings... Like you!" Nnyl grabbed Tabby by her throat and lifted her inches above the white floor. Nnyl made her choke, grasp for the air of life. "Die!"

The sound of a neck being snapped was so strong, that those who looked on turned away. Linka herself had blinked at the sight when the ruthless Lynn copy had finished her business with Tabby. "Now then... Who is next?"

Lupa had enough, and made her daring move against Nnyl. "No more!" With her scream followed a flying chair that Nnyl didn't see coming. It sent her back, proving a rare and effective attack Lupa wasn't sure would work. "Linka, now!"

The two white-haired clones advanced around the fallen Nnyl to corner her. "Don't let her near the last kids, Lemy! We need them to put her to sleep!"

Lemy was still hovering over Leia's body, dripping tears on her dirty shirt. "Leia...-"

"RIGHT NOW, LEMY!" Lupa commanded.

Nnyl flashed her eyes towards the exit. "Not so fast, I can't have you interfering with my work! I'll do what it takes to finish my mission, and I know everything that's going to happen from here on out!" She punched and threw Lupa hard on the floor before once more going over Lynn. And as a going'away present, Nnyl stomped on Lynn's feet with her own, like a drill breaking away at concrete. "I'd rather you live with the inability to be what I used to feel. Death for you would be too easy, Lynn."

Lynn broke down into tears, not from the pain of a pair of broken legs, but by such betrayal and the irrational set of ideas Nnyl had gotten somehow.

"How I've been roaming around freely to pull my schemes is another day's story, but I'm afraid I have no home here, so I must make my exit!" She waved goodbye, and left behind a bright green afterimage in her place.

Lupa made a step back up, but she had lost her stamina again that she couldn't get herself working. "NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!" Lupa had the culprit right then and there. Her missed opportunity, gone just like that. "LEMY, HURRY!"

Linka brushed out of the room. "I'm going after-" However, a pursuit was out of the question. A nice blockade of agents set for Nnyl had been broken; Nnyl had pummeled through the wall of guards and was long gone at this point. Linka knew a loss when she saw it. "Damn..."

Lupa figured Linka's body tells and was left in disarray with the fact that Nnyl had gotten away. "I'LL KILL HER!"

Lynn had covered her face, so full of guilt and shame by what had transpired today. Three casualties were on her hand. Luna, and two of the girls Lupa knew more about. Two of the kids from the place with a strange name, and speaking of that place- "Linka, what did she mean? Why did she say you all were really here to track her?"

Lynn had no sixth sense to feel something was off about them. She disregarded it as luck, and Luna might've as well. They were blessed that the duo had come back and had aided the sisters and made Vick retreat.

"I-it's complicated," Linka admitted. Even at this moment where she had to confess and reveal their opposing plans that weren't Agency protocol, Linka hadn't a mind to spill everything that would put Grimmtown's future on the Agency's radar. And not at all that they had an unsanctioned kill mission, strictly black ops.

And then, Lynn was getting a clearer mind; it was Linka who was behind this. She notified the Agency about the pheno kids. The kids who had somehow got loose, for Lynn remembered they were scheduled to be transported elsewhere. "It was you... You were doing something stupid, weren't you?"

In bad timing, Lana came in. "Guys, there's so many-" The unholy sight of three corpses, starting with Luna's, killed Lana. "LUNA!"

"Damn it, Linka! Answer me!" Lynn used her elbows to drag herself towards Linka. "Explain yourself!"

"It wasn't her fault! I disobeyed an order here! Linka tried to stop me from taking off with the kids! I don't want them in danger, but none of us expected our enemy to be swimming in a fucking tank!" If the blame game was going to be played, you'd be damn sure Lupa would never back out of a round. "You're the stupid jock who let her be born into this world! And..."

Lynn wasn't spared from any kicks today. Lupa knocked her out with one last leg swing.

"Lacy is not a valid reason to do this! Your lack of motherly love killed a town I've been happily living in!"

"Lupa..." Lynn wanted to say there was more to it. Lynnette, or rather Nnyl, was a harmless clone Lynn didn't want to put on the battlefield after she had been introduced to her. The risk was death, the consequences were inevitable darkness and misery, and the clone was a poor girl with bad luck and a short lifespan. In years, she'd be dead. The real reason Lynn placed her back in her chamber was to protect and preserve Nnyl until solutions to her mental and physical states came.

And now... She fell. She turned. She ran the other direction. Those thoughts passed through her mind right before Lupa came along and helped her sleep.

"If you're gonna blame everyone-" Lupa didn't remotely care that Lynn was no longer conscious to listen. Lupa had to be manually interrupted by Linka.

"The goddamn footage of you acting against these wimps will be seen, and Lynn already knows why we're really here. This shit's gone out of control, so it's best we leave."

"B-but wait, what about-" Lupa turned back and pointed to the last three children of Grimmtown. "I can't leave him here."

"Lupa, they'll be okay for now," Linka explained. "Nnyl can't do anything now that she'll be on the shitlist. The security for the training grounds will tighten. Anti-pheno weaponry will be handed out. And if it happens that she should try, we'll be there to defend it. Promise."

It took a moment to let it sink in, and Lupa found herself smiling with great confidence. "Yes, we've come this far..."

"Luna..." Linka, nor anyone, could have anticipated death today. "Nnyl is going to pay for all of her crimes, and we will do it the way these cowards won't."

Linka gave Lupa a moment to say her heartfelt goodbye to Lemy. For a split second, it seemed funny to watch the cold clone to get all warm and mushy for a mere brat. But in that hug Lupa and Lemy shared, Linka hesitated for a second to look away. She blinked, and they were gone, replaced by a quick daydream of Lincoln, in Lupa's place, hugging Linka where Lemy was standing. Linka's eyes widened, and then she narrowed them and looked away. "We'd better get going..."

Lana kept crying for Luna, and stood up when Linka walked over to her. "L-Linka, what the hell happened here?"

"I'm sorry for this, Lana," Linka said softly.

"S-sorry for wh-" Lana didn't see the knock-out punch coming. Linka caught her before the poor thing could hit her head on the floor. The tomboy was placed on top of Lynn, and then Linka and Lupa were out of there.

Lucky was asleep during all of the commotion, even through the alarm going off. Luan, Lily and the baby had retreated into his room, listening and watching out for surprise guests. Luan jumped back at what she believed was Vick coming back with new goons, but it was only Linka and Lupa coming in.

"Guys! Oh, my God!" Lily's retained pure and innocent nature was just as strong and sweet as it ever was. "Is it over?"

"Wait, where are the others?" Luan covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh, please don't tell me-"

"You'll soon find out what went on up there," Linka vaguely answered. She went over to Lucky and took off his beanie. She slapped his face with it and then shoved it against his lips. "There's been an attack alright, and Lynn kept us all in the dark about another clone."

"W-what?" Luan asked.

"She'll tell you more, just wait for her here." Linka pressed harder and had Lucky wake up in such a scary way.

"Mmmm! Mm hmmmm?!"

"Wake up, we've gotta go," Linka told him. She released her pressure off of his lips and lifted him up.

"Go? Go where? Linka, what's going on? Why are you taking him?" Luan rose up to look into the hall. "What happened up there?"

Linka didn't have to answer to them. She kicked at Lucky's shoes to get him ready immediately. Lupa tapped her shoes impatiently. "Let's go, we don't have long now!"

"Hold on, where are we going?" Lucky needed much rest he could gather from the perilous recebt events. There wasn't need to go back to wear himself out, but by God Almighty, Linka was such a force of nature not to be trifled with. Hopefully it had nothing dangerously written on the small print. "Okay, whatever, but I want the new console when we come back!"

Lupa bit her lip, restraining her laughter.

"Oh, as if we're going shopping. Well, actually that's not a bad idea." Linka led the teen on, reeling him in. "Hurry, they wanna see you topside."

The trio, back at it again, left in a hurry. Linka didn't feel bad about lying to their faces again, but she did feel a little guilt that she would leave them to be told Luna had passed away. And try as she might, Linka would never hear the end of the crap they would give her.

But the hatred, berating wouldn't start at this point. Where it began in question was when Linka and Lupa had been outed by Nnyl about their secret objective; to find Nnyl and kill her without interference of any law and order. The Agency had all the right tools do accomplish the mission, but how could anyone have anticipated that Nnyl had been hiding there all along? Not only that, but Linka and Lupa kept Grimmtown a secret, despite Linka basically giving up the kids back at home.

Did anyone need to know that they considered breaking into the pheno training grounds?

Luna was dead, and Lynn pointed her functioning finger at Linka for her death. Sure, Lupa was the one who went berserk and tried to free the kids under her watch, and had believed it to be her fault, but it was really Linka who had set the master plan in the first place. It was Linka who had come here to play the long-running revenge game, the one that had no rules or any morals attached with it.

They would have her for it, and things would change the second they rushed out of the Agency. Linka, Lupa, and hell, even Lucky, would automatically be put on the shitlist for their actions. Lemy and the Fairchild kids would be safe now, and that was a loaf off Lupa's back in the meantime, but there was still the matter of Nnyl.

"Now we know, Lupa. Now we know who she is, and I promise..." The images of the lifeless Luna, Leia, and Tabby were still stuck in both their heads.

Lupa clenched her fists in response to the mental projections. "Don't you dare-"

"-We're going to find and kill Nnyl, whatever it takes."

* * *

 **AN: Ooh, Linka, Lupa! Oh, no, you've done it now! Well, that's it. They've done fucked up with the Agency. And Nnyl has gotten away clean. Where will they next dance again? Well, say no more, for the reunion shall be guaranteed in the next arc; Defiance! Don't miss it! Or do, procrastination is sometimes wonderful.**

 **P.S. Linka fucked up their deal to roam freely.** **If she were to get captured...**

 **Imprisonment** , **coming soon.**


	16. Defiance, Part One

**July 15th, 2039**

Lucky couldn't get over it. He should have stayed with them, but no. Linka's scary personality made it hard to say no, and plus, he truly believed he was getting the Xbox Ultra. He figured he was a fugitive on the run, which made sense seeing as how Linka and Lupa were on the run from the Agency.

He was skeptical they would care about these two until the motel they were staying at had was heavily crashed by a group of four of the unmistakable soldiers the director had sent as the dispatch force. He jumped back when the shooting began, and took cover behind the soft bed.

The firing had stopped, and he peeked over to hear groaning from the men. Linka had left them with broken limbs after Lupa forced all their guns away and had pinned each men to the floor. It looked like there were people Linka wouldn't end, and that was something to properly behold.

Lucky viewed it as a secret shed of humanity Linka had kept, which made him wonder what the limit for that was.

She had indeed explained it to him, but it was still lost on him as of yet. He was thrown into a world of sci-fi where such things only existed in television, and not in real life. Even with everything spiraling so much out of control, he still had so many questions about this and that. Nnyl. Them. Were all clones related? Was time travel really possible? How many people died for them to get here? How many died in their name? His head never ceased its spin.

"O-oh, no death this time," he sighed in relief.

"These guys are just following orders," Linka shared. "I'm not their enemy, but yet they come for us to take us back so that we can answer for the choices we've made."

Lucky still couldn't get over the news about Luna having been killed in front of them. They never saw eye-to-eye on everything, but Lucky knew Luna's harsh words were always with the best intention. She pushed him a lot as he grew up, and expressed desire for him to get a good education. If that wasn't a great aunt... Then what would be one?

"I take it we're running now, huh?" Lucky was growing weary of the long game of hide and seek. This type of life, it wasn't built for him, and yet, he was used to it. For some reason, he had accustomed to it quickly. If he were to be asked to hold a gun, he might as well have been a sociopath to begin with. "I..."

No, maybe not a sociopath.

"I just wanna go-" It all felt dead to him. Dead, but weird at the same time. He knew what he was doing, but at the same time, he had no idea where he was really going. It was all too confusing to him. "I can't go home now, can I?"

Linka looked into the teenager's eyes. The pair of peepers definitely weren't lying at all; in them, Linka found that they read like he was missing something essential. And that was likely a reasonable conclusion. "When you say home, where do you mean?"

Lucky almost replied with the house he grew up in, but that proved to be incorrect. And Linka knew what his heart was trying to say. "Mom... Mom and dad..."

Lupa crossed her arms and looked away.

"Why are you thinking about them? I told you about them. Your dad was a bad man..." The one fact Linka had kept away from him was now ready to be dropped. "Lucky, he didn't care about you."

The sentence triggered him, leading him to shout back at her. "What did you say?!" It was a first time, actually. Linka and Lupa were shook and surprised in horrendous size.

"Damn it, kid! Chandler made your mom drop you off at Rennis!" Then, Linka inhaled in reluctance for sharing this fact. She didn't need to hurt the kid with this, but at the very least, the scumbag parent did this, and not the one who loved him. Not Lori. Never Lori.

"W-what? N-no, you lie. You lie!"

She had to punch him straight in the stomach for his talking back. "I remember it still. I... He didn't want Lori to give you up. And your mom and... Uncle Lincoln should have gone, they should have abandoned the life of a Freight and left with you." And Linka felt it again; the anger, the powerlessness to be able to influence someone else for their own good.

She punched him because he looked just like the bastard of a father he never had.

"I don't need this shit now, we've got too much on our plates," Linka began picking up the guns, leaving Lucky sprawled on the floor to pick himself up. "Get up and save it to fight with us."

He still didn't know why he was there as of yet. He'd be safe, and not running with the outlaws. Safe...

"Fight with you? I don't even know how to shoot a gun!" His little comment had earned him one of the guns dropped from the screaming agents. Linka forced one in his hands after setting the safety on.

"You've seen movies, I'm sure. You point, it fires with a squeeze of the trigger." She didn't want to leave him defenseless, but there was no need to bring him into the fray. If it ever shall be that Lucky fired at a living person, there would be no turning back. But this, over dying without self-defense, or being killed by the Agency, was a better outcome. Linka hoped it would have never come to that. No new victim into the pit, and especially not one of their own, would fall on her hands. "Don't fucking fire until you have to. And flip the safety off, too, alright?"

Lucky tucked the pistol into his sweater. "Yeah, I think I got it."

"Kid, take off your sweater and wrap the gun inside. That thing is still visible."

Lucky unzipped his sweater, revealing a black Metallica tee underneath. He placed the gun inside sloppily and folded the sweater over it. "Like this?"

Lupa flew out of the motel room and floated onto the roof. The night was coated with a dark blanket, and only dark. If there were clouds above, they were sure to be invisible. The street in front of the standard model glowed brightly orange in some spots, thanks to the streetlights standing high and proudly on the sidewalks on both sides of that street. It was empty, vacant, and Lupa looked onto it and found some sense of peace when looking at it.

"Beautiful..." Lupa snapped back into reality. "Guys, we're clear! Hurry it up, the cops are bound to be less than five mins out!"

How silly of Linka to have left their luggage back at the house. "Shit, goddamnit!" No new disguises for a while, or a backpack to conceal their weapons. "Fucking hell!"

How unprofessional of them.

They were running now, and got two blocks away from the motel when a patrol of three cop cars were visible farther ahead. The lights and sirens spooked the untrained Lucky frozen, so Lupa tugged him with an invisible cane as if they were in a Looney Toons segment, and all three hid into a wide alleyway, covering themselves behind a green dumpster.

The cops were no problem for Linka and Lupa in terms of combat, but this was a stealth-only survival mission, where they had to to unnoticed and off-the-grid while they located and gathered proper weapons and knowledge on the pheno training base and how to infiltrate such a highly secured place.

On the plus side to all of these, Lynn was not able to present a problem. So none of them would be up against other phenos, apart from Nnyl herself.

The Lincoln Loud safehouses were gone, so they couldn't expect any tools in those places. And to even go there would be a waste of time. Anti-pheno weaponry, where did the Agency develop those? Did they come by shipments in convoy? Linka knew they were created straight from the Black Network, and maybe there might've been a factory or bunker producing those arms.

It was unfortunate she didn't pay attention to how they ran the revamped Agency this time. An arms factory was never mentioned before, but if it did exist...

"Wait a second..."

The remaining stock of Grimmtown's weapons were still left untouched. Lemy, the magnificent son of a bitch, had done them a wonder.

"Yes! We've gotta go back!" Linka felt cheerful with the new objective. "Your buddies saved some ordinance, Lupa. We gotta go back to Grimmtown!"

Lupa gasped with heart, and formed a smile at the idea. "Yes, you're freaking right! We have our weapons!"

But pity it was a long drive there, without any teleporters.

"Oh..." Another setback. "From California to Colorado. How many days would that take?"

Lupa sighed. "Great. Nnyl might have destroyed the training grounds by then," Lupa groaned. "How the fuck will we..."

 **July 16th, 2039**

The idea was stupid, and not at all low-key, but they did it. They broke into an airfield near Oakridge, San Jose, and acquired a pilot through forcibly severe means. Linka had the gun on the middle-aged bloke the entire flight, and they flew high in their not-so-private jet.

Not too many people in between then and now had been subdued by the pair, so there was that. Linka did blindfold and tie up two elderly guards stationed at the front entrance of the airfield, and had left them there to be found. Hopefully before they starved to death or had a heart attack.

The damn pilot looked like a stoned hippie, from an era where disco was born. "H-hey now, ya promise me you won't shoot me when we land over there?"

Linka replied with a serious grunt, almost humorous as she still kept a college girl look on her. Lupa was the one who had a physically terrifying appearance, but Linka had everything else to make people fear her. "Landing? I said you'd be flying north of the town of Salina, but I never said we'd land."

Lupa found only two parachutes underneath the backrow seats. That petrified the teenager. "W-we're parachuting down there?!"

"You can fly back after we jump out of here, and in exchange for guarantee that you'll walk away without a bullet in you, you keep shut about us. Masked men kidnapped you and forced you at a rendezvous point halfway from here. Make something up." Linka lowered her gun and returned to the back.

"Are you trolling?!" The idea of skydiving scared the living shit out of him. "I don't want to!"

"Well, maybe you want to hold onto Lupa like a little baby and we both do the falling," Linka suggested.

The teen moved his hands onto his head and turned to mumble insanely. "Oh, my God. Literally, oh... My... God..."

"Man up, boy! We can't have you pussy out on this!" The reason Linka took the teen was because he was able to act as a sort of defuser, and had a role to ease up the tense between any conflict and situation she would often have with Luna. It spared her Luna's highest degree of anger, but this time, it might not actually work.

That, and Lucky was more bought on Linka's ideas, which had been known by everyone up to this point. The only downside of a con he didn't like, just like any other person would, was the endless peril the path Linka walked down presented. It was far too late to return him now.

"What if we... What if we die? What if the parachutes don't work?" Lucky actually bit on his fingernails until his head jerked back after Lupa flicked a finger at him.

"We can count on Lupa's power to save us," Linka assured. "We faced danger too many times, what are the fucking odds?"

 **Later**

"Hey," the hippie called out. "We're almost there!"

Linka strapped on her black chute and approached the back exit. "After we jump, turn the fuck around and get to the nearest strip. I see you're dangerously low on gas!" Indeed it was a miracle they didn't need to stop once since boarding.

Lupa placed her own. "Lucky, you're gonna be holding onto me from the front side. And don't hold me too tightly, I don't want you crushing my boobs."

"O-oh, you're shorter than me, and you worry about me walling up on your chest than squeezing you like clay?" Lucky's smart remark earned him a Lupa-induced slap this time.

"Call me short and I'll be chopping off your legs! Now come on!" Lupa raised her hand to the door and did the flick movement again. The plane's exit door had come off it's hinges and went flying away into the air. "Oops."

She done goofed, setting off a flashing emergency notification in the plane. "Oh, shi-" The fool had gotten herself sucked out before Lucky hooked up to her.

"Damn it, Lupa!" Linka wrapped herself around Lucky and began moving backwards. "DON'T FUCKING RESIST OR WE DIE!"

Lucky had no choice in the matter, but the scared juvenile was still fidgeting uncontrollably. "T-this is too m-much, I wanna go b-b-back..."

She stopped just one step away from jumping off the jet with him. She looked below to see a cloak of darkness cover the earth for miles. "We're going to lose Lupa if we don't jump fast!"

"I-I don't want to jump, I guess I am one. I'm a goddamn pu-" He went out with the butt of the gun's strike against his head working for Linka. She turned her gun and fired two rounds at the unsuspecting pilot. Why should he get to live, after seeing their faces? She never actually promised him jack. A guarantee meant it could be taken back, and that's what she had in mind.

And out the two Louds went. The plane would descend and eventually crash into the woods. If it just so happened to crash in an actual town, then it wouldn't be on Linka. She'd blame God, just like he blamed the Man Upstairs for all atrocities and horrors each and every one of the Loud kids had faced after the fire.

It was going just dandy at first, and Lupa was nowhere to be seen. Not like they had phones or flashlights at the time to signal each other's whereabouts. How shitty the lack of resources tnat proved a nuisance for them. No way to track each other if they go lost, and Linka was the one with the map.

They kept falling until the rushing winds broke Linka into pulling her chute. It was more of a challenge than she hoped it would be while holding Lucky with both her arms. She pulled it, and successfully too, but she didn't count what fillowdd after; the parachute opened up, and completely made her jerk hard enough to lose her holding on the teenager. "LUCK!"

And somewhere in the wave of darkness below, she lost sight of him as he kept falling.

* * *

 **AN: Ah! Maybe he should have stayed this time! Boy, oh, boy, what will I come up with next? And how will Linka be able to save him, assuming she can? And how far away is Lupa right now? Next; Foliage to the face!**


	17. Defiance, Part Two

**July 16th, 2039**

The jet became a small dot, and Linka wasn't sure where she would land. No parlor tricks she could perform now could save her nephew. The kid no longer lived up to his name, and he was as good as dead. Lupa could have been anywhere, ranging from either directly below Linka, or a mile or two behind on the flight path.

Linka spotted a grouping of lights just right of her. _A town..._ She steered her parachute away from that direction as she drew nearer to ground level. _I hope you're okay, kiddo._

She didn't yet realize that she had jumped off an actual plane into a mission, furthering away from her initial goal. _So long, Mexico._

Minutes later, her feet hit upon branches, and before she could steer clear, Linka was already stealing kisses from leaves and branches of a tree that served to block her from a perfect landing. "Ew!" She moved her hands to block her face before it got too scratched up, but the rest of her was tangled in the maze of the tree. The chute got snagged on some branches, leaving Linka literally hanging out on the tree. "Goddamnit!"

It aggravated her that she left her tools back home. It was her fault that she believed they'd be coming back for them, but the place was already crawling with stake-out agents, otherwise she'd be taking a buck knife to free herself. There was one way to get herself out of this mess.

 **An Hour Later**

A carnivore did come, in the form of a hawk. It was passing by, flapping its wings, and it circled around the tree that left Linka with a bad impression. The bird landed on dead center of her head, and kept turning its head as if it was searching for something. Right before the hawk could think to begin eating on what it assumed was the corpse of a poor sucker, Linka rushed her arms upwards and slammed them on her head. She trapped the bird by grabbing its legs and tugged it forward. The animal was drastically flapping its wings for dear life. Not once did Linka consider mercy.

Her left hand wrapped around its face and drowned out the bird's crying calls. She squeezed and turned its head without a blink or a gasp, and the soft cracking followed after. She got out of the chute after using the dead bird's beak and talons to cut away the straps, and Linka came falling right into the ground. It was only a fall of five feet, which led to nothing being broken. All she felt was dizzy and hungry at the moment.

She was there, she was successfully in the mountains of Colorado. The big problem was that she didn't know where she was, nor which direction she could go. The map was still folded and tucked neatly in her jacket, but she couldn't see it. There was no denying she was lost, and to make matters worse, she couldn't move around without a light source. Maybe she could get somewhere, but these woods were likely to be dangerous while going through them blind as she was. That's it, she was really mad by then. "Fuck me, man."

Linka stayed put under the tree that took her hostage to lie down. Shit was really fucked at this point. Lupa was missing, Lucky's status was unknown, and if all three bozos made it, they were to fend for themselves until daylight. Hope for the best was all there was left to do, and Linka faded away with the rest of the world and fell asleep. If she woke up dead, she would really be mad beyond comprehension.

 **July 17th, 2039**

How she managed to outrun that huge grizzly bear, she'll never know. The albino kept sprinting, uncaring for the twigs snapping and leaves crunching with each step her feet made. The place was uneven, but she expected that. She ran up, she ran down, she kept jumping over stumps and got herself into a game of avoid-that-tree without slowing down. An endless match of taking left or right when the trees were planted to get in her way.

The bear was still back there, somewhere. The roaring didn't stop, but there was some distance between them, and Linka didn't stop. Sure, she found herself to be worn out, but she didn't stop. Mot even for the clawing the woodland animal had gifted her before she outran it. Linka was bleeding from the waist down, leaving her with a stinging pain there.

So far, she hadn't come to a river. Her survival skills were truly rusty, but she had always remembered a river could lead to a lake if she traveled alongside one long enough to find it. At least that was how Lincoln would find Lori in the handful of times they were separated due to similar danger. Lupa had to have those memories engraved in her, so she'd be doing the same.

Linka decreased her speed once the roaring no longer passed with the sound waves. What replaced the bear's hunger growls were the songs of many birds, from different directions. The day had only began, and Linka was in for a long day. Hungry and tired, she carried on.

She tended to her wound by slipping off her torn jacket and pressed it against the three slash marks. "Heh," she laughed. Linka wondered if was equivalent to how painful Luna's own claws were. She had yet to earn that-

Then, it came back. The rocker was gone... Actually dead. Linka sighed sadly. "Damn..."

 _Then, something flashed from within. There was a concert, and Lincoln was there in his early years. He was amped and tidied up to fit among the rest of the crowd of Smooch fans. It wasn't just him, there. The boy was accompanied by both Clyde and Luna that sweet night._

Linka forgot where she currently was, and what she was doing. The jacket slipped from her fingers.

 _One of the many times of his life, and Luna was someone else Linka barely recognized in the heart of the memory. Luna was... Alive. Happy. Passionate about who she was. Everything no longer seen through Linka's eyes. That very same girl had gotten older... And died._

It took Linka to feel the pain from her waist to return to reality. She winced at it and noticed the blood-soaked jacket was getting dirty. She bent down to pick it up, and extended a hand out to reach for it when she froze; the jacket had been a gift of Luna's own choosing, given to Linka.

It hit her like she had been fired upon an struck with a perfect shot to her heart. This far along, and the toll was another of their kin. Linka retracted her hand and started pressure again with her orange shirt. "Not another one..."

The shirt also had three parallel slashes and blood at the bottom. She sat down and tilted her body forward to have more shirt room to stop her bleeding. She even went as far as to create friction with her hands, directing the heat from them to use onto the cuts.

 **Elsewhere**

Lucky had actually lived up to his name, all right. Well, for the most part anyway. He didn't know shit about what happened after Linka clocked him out for the night. He rose up from the naked ground screaming. Lupa, on the other hand, was awake at the time and was levitating around the area, probably looking for a sense of direction.

She wasn't too startled when Lucky screamed into the waking world. She didn't blame him, for she had prevented his death while flying around without activating her parachute. She didn't need it at all, but since Lucky wimped out on learning without learning, Lupa had to take the damn thing. And truthfully, she had never used her powers from way high up.

"Good morning, kiddo," she greeted.

"W-what happened? What-" He noticed the sun and its rays striking down around their location. "Holy shit, how long was I out? It looks like it's morning." He then gasped and looked around for Linka.

"You're a heavy sleeper, you know that?" Lupa figured he'd be snoring, but it was more than she expected out of him. "If you're looking for Linka, she's not here." Lupa didn't want to mention that she saved his life, but she had to. Damn good thing she was flying close by when and after they jumped. She was able to see Lucky have his misfortunate moment and acted to save him. Linka was safe, but far off, maybe within a five or six mile radius.

"What do you mean she's not here?"

And that was why Lupa had to share. "There was a fuck-up, and I guess you slipped through her hands and fell way down. Idiot, I blame your weight!" She slapped the back of his head.

"WHAT?! LINKA DROPPED ME?!" He freaked out like it was happening. The kid would've been a hell of an actor in a far away place, but here, life was no commercial.

"Yes, you blubbering idiot. Now pipe down, we're not out of the woods yet..." She coughed in between. "So to speak. I hope you're not hungry right now."

His stomach wasn't growling, but hers was. Lupa was craving some meaty grub at the moment, but the only food around them were animals; bears, deer, and edible birds all over the county. The issue here was finding, collecting and creating tools and traps. The one advantage Lupa had that Linka didn't, was that her skills were not at all rusty. And that wasn't just it. "Grimmtown phenos would hunt animals in groups," she explained. "We would usually have a buck or two every time they came back. Sometimes it would be a bear, and man..." Lupa licker her lips, ready to eat some grizzly flesh again.

"You... Ate bear?"

Lupa scouted the place. "Actually, I've sometimes became part of the hunters group," she added. And by sometimes, she really meant too many times. "I think I know how to get there. Come on, get up. We are moving, twerp."

"So, I guess that's a yes..." Lucky followed the only leader he had, with no other choice in mind. "So, how long to the town?"

"It shouldn't take more than maybe, I dunno, thirty to forty mins. And we've gotta take it slow and quiet, or we'll have predators on our ass, got it?" Lupa's gaze alone freaked him out. It was like looking at the eyes of death, only death wasn't in a disguise such as Lupa's body. She meant what she she said, and some wrong move could end up in her pushing Lucky into the mouth of whatever was chasing them. That was the type of person he saw just by looking at her eyes.

"Y-yes, ma'am..." He wouldn't dare get on her bad side just yet, or try to endanger them so carelessly. Lucky did some foot stretches before they began their hike.

The fun thing about this was that Lupa didn't need to walk. Lucky was to bite the dust all by himself, and Lupa was laughing away for the complaining he would have at halfway through the long walk.

"Hey... How come you get to float? Can't we just fly towards Grimmtown?" Lucky _really_ wanted the easy way right now.

"No, you're walking" Lupa scolded. "Besides, it builds muscle and character. Burn off whatever flab you've got underneath that hideous jacket on you." Now she sounded like Lynn.

Lucky had not bothered to change his attire, and it had already gotten smelly on him. That also applied to his orange beanie. "You call it hideous, and I call it-"

"Revolting, Lucky. It's revolting and if that was any longer, you'd have school shooter written all over you." At least Lupa was dead-on honest.

"...I won't take it off of that's what you're suggesting." The atmosphere was that of a chilly one, and Lucky was not about to catch a cold.

Lupa had adapted already, and she had slipped off the purple sweater and tied it around her waist. Like always, she showed off her black shirt for the day. "Much better!"

An actual chill ran down the redhead's back. Lupa, dressed in such edgy clothes, and with one of Lucky's pants as well, had began to spark a butterfly, which was only making his stomach turn. Such an awkward feeling that made him turn around. "Why do you dress like that?"

"It's my style. I think we've been over this, haven't we?" Lupa grew farther away, disappearing into the treeline.

"Hey...!" Lucky sprinted to her direction, focused up in the air. "Lupa! Aunt Lupa!"

He tripped on a log after ascending a steep hillside. His beanie was done in by gravity, and fell in front of his face. He hit his funny bone from his left elbow, letting the entire arm sink in with the weird, indescribable sensation. It was similar to how an arm or leg would catch figurative ants when they'd be bent in a certain position for an extended period of time. Lucky didn't like the irritable feel of it. He rose up to his knees and wiped away the visible dirt and crunched up leaves splattered all over his now dirty jacket.

That was all the time the predator behind him needed. Lupa spotted it too damn late and was berating herself for such carelessness. "LUCKY, YOU IDIOT!"

"Wha-?" The clatter of a stampede stunned him all of a sudden, and the teen had no time to get out of the way. He didn't need to turn to realize the bear was just over him. The shadow of the beast vastly covered him. "Oh, God!"

Lupa shot her hands forward and pushed it back like she had fired off a beam. "Eat this, furball!"

Linka heard the raging yell of a bear close by. She stopped her tip-toeing and turned to the direction the shriek came from. It couldn't have seen her, and she couldn't tell if it was the same one that was chasing her. It came from the right, and Linka wondered what was going on over there. Maybe it was hunters at work.

She began sprinting once more after assuring she had enough breath and energy to keep up.

Lupa stood in front of the normal Loud, guarding him from the black bear. It had been flipped to its back, but was now picking itself up. "I'm gonna have to kill this thing!"

"W-what? Just send it flying back! There's no need to harm a creature!" Lucky did have a point. Lupa could simply just throw it like a rag doll away from them to earn an escape. But Lupa was a survivor. She was even more hungry now that she had seen the walking pounds of meat.

"I AM HUNGRY!" Lupa knocked the bear back down after allowing it to stand on its hind legs and kept it pinned. She landed gently on its belly, hands still extended out in front. Then, she distanced them, and the bear's front legs were violently ripped out of their sockets.

Linka appeared in view just in time to see Lupa kill. "Whoa, you're here! And Lucky! You're alive!"

Lupa lowered her right hand, directing the left one in front of the bear's face. The thing was in pain, but it had to be one, or her and Lucky. And less was more. Lupa opened her hand and then turned it quickly; with that, the bear's head followed lead and died instantly. Lucky made a disgusted face, for his stomach had yet to adapt to death up close. "We need a fire! I'm so-"

Lupa had heard Linka's voice, and had only a smile formed, before it disappeared after being exposed to the latter's wound. "Linka!"

"Oh, a dumb bear did this. It might've been that one, but I can't tell." Linka pressed a hand to the dried slashes. "Doesn't hurt all that much."

"Where's the jacket?"

Linka pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "I left it back there. Bear did a number on it."

"Your waist!" Lucky was the last to finally take notice.

"Yeah, what a lovely gift, right? It won't be long til it probably gets infected."

"Well, you're in luck," Lupa revealed. "Grimmtown is close by, but I don't think I can last without some good meat." Lupa licked her lips. The dead bear had passed already, and its we-limbed front paws stuck out over the corpse. Lupa had already begun to skin away at the fur. "Linka, start a fire. I'm one hungry mama."

 **Minutes Later**

Lupa burped with content and satisfaction, tapping her tummy to show that she had enough fuel in her tank. She devoured both paws, which meant Linka and Lucky had to eat from the rest of the corpse. Lucky was powerless in strength compared to Linka; one of the hind legs he tore off had made him strain his physicality too much that he fell back with the leg. The blood came out like an automatic rifle emptying a magazine into the air. Linka didn't see it coming, and got some of the blood on her as well. "Gee... Thanks a lot."

Lupa got her amusement and helped the fragile boy with the other leg. "Here, let me."

Linka had the rest of the body. She did it manually and dug her hands right into the bear's stomach. She made quite the mess that stained her clothes and soiled the dirt. Flies were due to arrive now. "Hey, Lupa. A little help here, too?"

"Ugh!" Lupa felt like the babysitter of these two. "You can't rely on me all the time."

The chunks of meat forced out from Linka's hands, and hovered over the blazing fire they started.

"If I had your telekinesis, I wouldn't!" Linka circled around the fire and wiped the mess from her hands onto her shirt.

And after the raw meat had been cooked near perfection, they had begun munching away to refill. The morning meal was that of a quiet one, apart from the chewing and gulping. While the meat digested into theit system, Linka tapped at Lupa's shoulder and pointed upwards. "We need to drink now."

"For the love of..." Linka did have a point, so Lupa rose into the air and scotued around. She dashed in multiple directions, disappearing among the trees.

"Are you suggesting we drink nasty river water?" Lucky stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Bleurgh!"

Linka crossed her arms and waited for Lupa. She didn't expect for the flight-enabled clone to come back so soon. And Lupa did take a while.

Linka cracked her knuckles and distanced herself from the carcass. It had already begun to smell bad, and Linka found it unbearable.

Lupa evetually returned. "My memory of this place has gotten rusty, but a small stream I recall is just up ahead, on the way to Grimmtown."

Lucky was reluctant to try unfiltered water, but his throat felt clogged, and there was really no other substitute for a liquid in the woods. They left as fast as they arrived at the narrow stream, not stopping to admire the gorgeous mother nature.

They came across the vacant tents, still left as it had been when they first left. Nothing seemed to be missing from the clothes the kids had to leave behind, but Lupa, who stared into the hollow tents, took the tents down in one fell swoop. Who knew what was going through her mind when the tents came falling down slowly?

Linka's hand came alive and tugged away at the shirt's neck-hole. That's right, she knew. "Lupa-"

"I didn't know about what we were after his death, Linka." There was no time like the present to talk about the elephant in the room. "I didn't know you were on the watch-list. You were safe, and you tried to talk me down, even though we were planning something possibly suicidal."

Linka remained silent.

"I overheard Luna reveal that you would be locked away if you did something stupid. And you did..."

"Okay, what's your point?" Linka got an eyeful of Lupa's behind. "Look me in the eyes, and tell me what you're trying to say."

And Lupa did. Her cold blue eyes were not of the dead variety this time, but they glittered with life. Human eyes that weren't displaying murder or hatred this time. "We've defied them, and there is no way out of it. They catch us, it's over. We won't be ever see the light of day again."

Linka's shoulders dropped slightly. "Oh, yeah. We lose the privileges they gave us."

She wasn't shocked by this fact, and neither should Lupa have been. She wasn't really, but the thought was sinking in, over and over again to make her near paranoid and worrisome.

"No..." Linka corrected herself. "We've lost them already. We've known this was the outcome, Lupa. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because... We can't, for one second, fuck it up, Linka," Lupa concluded. "We've gotta plan it thoroughly. We've gotta learn all we can about Nnyl, the training facility, and whatever else we need to learn."

"I was afraid of that..."

It meant they'd have to go back to the Agency to extract files, and that alone was just another added side mission for their main one. As if that wouldn't be hard by itself. Not only for a shitload of angry ex-allies on their plate, but also their own flesh and blood. An inevitable gathering.

"Hell, we don't even know if they have orders to capture us. We might as well be branded enemies and they could kill us-"

Lucky peeped fearfully at this. His face going pale is what made Lupa discontinue. "C-can we discuss that later?" He asked out of fright.

"I suppose so," Lupa agreed. The desolate area where it had been full of life just days ago made Lupa feel empty. "No time to waste..."

They returned to their current objective and passed through the unseen barrier wall that separated the safe haven from the outside world. The atmosphere grew hotter, and Lucky was finally moved to take off his jacket, and tied it around his neck.

"Just... Can you throw that hideous thing away? It's gonna get even more hotter from this point on."

Lucky merely scratched the back of his head and ignored Lupa, a ballsy move to make.

Lupa would've cared, but her mind was occupied heavily at the moment. They continued regardless, and it wasn't long since they were moving in between the two rows of lazily demolished structures. The place was the ghost town it had been since last coming to this place.

Linka wasted no time running towards the armory. Lupa upped her speed, leaving the tired Lucky to take his time as if he were an old man. He didn't say anything this time and was more focused on keeping up.

Linka had to skip several steps of the tarnished wooden staircase. Lupa only had to lift herself some feet and dash forward, and Linka still maintained her secret jealousy on Lupa's superiority over her own abilities.

The material, the firepower, the sweet, sweet ordinance for a one-man army. Linka went through them without a time limit. Over forty boxes, either lying on the floor or in a stack, were awaiting someone for so long that they were immensely covered in dust. Yes, these were the same ones Linka recalled seeing. It was nice to see that the rifles and shotguns greeted her kindly when she reached to the back. These in particular were AR-15 brand rifles, and the shotguns were of the Winchester 12 gauge Linka was familiar with.

Lupa whistled at the sight of Linka admiring the beauties. "Just like the old days when he was shooting deer. You do remember that, don't you?"

And she did. How could she have? Or... How could they all have?

 _He came down when the basement was left unlocked. He knew it was wrong for him to pry, but there was a reason Pop-Pop kept the place locked. Was it some sort of hideout? A lounge? Lincoln could use one, with everything having gone fucked up in too many ways._

 _He switched on the lights and got his answer. No relaxation here. No, this was the opposite. He came across a gun museum, composed of many types of firearms. He saw it as an armory at the time, and his hands compelled him to touch the cases. But something touched him via hia shoulder first._

 _"Do you like my private collection?" His grandfather, a war veteran, had come down to lock up the basement, and had noticed the light from below. "Granted, I wanted your mother to have one, in a world like this."_

 _Lincoln looked up to see him, and was surprised by that fact. His mother, owning a gun? That felt weird to him in that moment._

 _"This place isn't for kids," Albert continued. He led his grandson back upstairs and then proceeded to shut the war room away for the night. "I'm sorry you saw that. That's my personal place."_

 _And Lincoln, being a kid at the time, didn't see the harm in knowing what was down there. Yet. Then he asked something, which waw reasonable, seeing as how Pop-Pop said he was willing to pass down one of the guns to his mother._

 _But with Pop-Pop's face suddenly going quiet and depressing, Lincoln received the other answer with tears in the tone of it. "No. I will not, I'm sorry."_

Linka knew why he was denied the lessons. And if she did, then so did the boy, in time. "I know it all too well..."

Lupa thought she meant the memories of back then. "Right?"

Linka kept digging around what she could find. "We're taking two of these rifles," Linka notified. She found a box of frags she wasn't expecting. "Ooh, sweet!" Unfortunately she had no pockets. Well, the jacket did, but eh. Linka dragged the box and slid it across the room. It hit the wall near the stairs and the impact made the grenades rattle.

"We've got flashbangs on that top one to your left," Lupa pointed out.

"We need those, too. Hell, why not just take two boxes?"

They were so busy rummaging through the armory that they didn't notice Lucky was running towards them, highly alerted and nervous. "G-guys, there's-"

"Not now, Lucky," Lupa silenced.

"B-but, we have-"

Linka cut him off this time. "Fit as many of those grenades there into your jacket, will you?"

He had enough and stomped with both feet, heavily. "DAMN IT, WILL YOU GIRLS LISTEN TO ME?!"

They turned to him, eyebrows raised after his unreasonable outburst. "What's with the shouting? Can you shut up?"

Lucky pointed to the wall, keeping his eyes on them still. "They're here! They found us! They've-"

"LINKA! LUPA! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" The megaphone did the rest of Lucky's talking. Linka dropped the box of flashbangs from her hands.

"Aw, fuck. H-how many did you see?"

Lucky shook his head. "There were too many to count. I looked behind and I saw a formation, all lined up and moving quickly." The kid was out of breath, not from running, but from the adrenaline and fear of their new dilemma. "I saw too many coming from all directions."

Linka took one of ARs and checked the mag. It was full of bullets. "You guys should really take the mags out when you're not using them."

"Hold on, there. What are you doing?" Lupa and Lucky had the notion to escape with what they had, but Linka wasn't one to run from a battle. "Linka-"

"They found us! Somehow, they found us!" She gripped the rifle firmly in her hand. "But we're going to fight them!"

Lupa had some grievances with this part of Linka's plans, but the girl with the weapon took off from the armory. "LINKA!"

Lucky went and hid behind the crates, scared for his life. "Why did I have to be here? I could have been in more safer hands," he whined.

Lupa ignored him, keeping her daze right on the stairs. She waited for Linka to come back, deciding it was too much for her.

But the bloodlusting clone had no intention to claim a contingency, it seemed. And then there was a barrage of gunfire.

"LINKA!"

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, Linka and Lupa have acted in defiance against the secretive officials who've let her off the leash they intended her to be in. As for Lupa, its fairly the same consequence that she'll receive. Two hostile phenos that cannot be simply placed in with the other phenos at the training grounds. Whatever Linka and Lupa decide to do further, and you already know what they plan, will decide what more the Loud sisters see them as, and what measures are taken to capture or kill.**

 **Meanwhile, Nnyl's whereabouts are unknown!**

 **Will the end of this deadly, dangerous journey see to it that they succeed? Or will Nnyl get the last laugh in the end?**

 **Next; A devastating showdown, and the stunning conclusion you might or might not see coming!**


	18. Defiance, Conclusion

**July 17th, 2039**

It was just like Lori's brat had told her. Five- No, seven. Nine. Twelve. Well over twelve of them. Too many to count. The rifle had been raised and ready to to its job, and Linka was not one to toy with. Her finger har mated with the trigger rather fast, and all she had to do left was squeeze with ease. Squeeze, and switch in between the targets the sight's line pointed to.

But Linka was still Linka, and as such, the helpless curiosity was there in her reconstructed personality. "I gotta know..."

The well-fashioned men had an upgrade this time; rather than silly semi-automatic guns, they came packed with MP5K submachine guns. Perfect compact guns that was easy to conceal. For one thing, Linka knew the Agency had access to more deadlier firepower than the likes of these garbage guns, made ideal for close range.

Based on that-

"Are those loaded with rubber bullets?" Those would damage her enough to subdue her, and nothing more. Too bad ahe couldn't say the same about the gun she had.

The men remained silent, not breaking away from their position or protocol.

"Ah," she replied with a smile. Linka set her sights at the agent furthest to her left, and fired two shots at his legs; she downed three in total, in under five seconds before she herself came under fire. She won the lottery, taking in a hail of non-lethal bullets all over her body. She only covered her face as it happened, laughing in a cocky fashion. "I guess that answers my question. So, where's mister boss man?"

Right on cue, the common blue oval opened right before her. Linka brushed her clothes smoothly and took a step back. "I'm right here, Linka." Sure enough, the good old, mysterious director had stepped right out of the portal. "I see you've been busy."

"And I see you've been a dumbass," she retorted back. "Link-X is your doing, and this is all on you." Linka wasn't going to hold back on telling him off. Nnyl, or Link-X, was the Agency's doing.

"If you're referring to our little clone predicament-"

Linka forgot she still had the rifle in front of her feet. She picked it up, took aim at him without thinking twice. "Little?! Really, you wanna say it's nothing to you? That you can handle it without breaking a sweat?!" Linka fired at the dirt in anger, and it was a bonus if she spooked him.

The director didn't flinch at all, but only raised a hand to keep his men from further triggering the infuriated Linka. "I understand your concerns, Linka. Really, I do."

"Did you really think another clone was a good idea, when you had me, the first clone, on very close watch?!"

"Facing the correct facts, the clones before our own creation, meaning you as well, were bred and grown under the banner of the Black Network. The real reason we have decided to keep a close watch on you is because of your initial programming. You have all the current traits Lisa Loud has intended for you to have in the end, after all. You _and_ Lupa, if I'm to be perfectly clear."

She was taken aback by his response. Her very nature, the stone-cold personality, was why she got here. Her willingness and preference to fight and put everyone in jeopardy because of it. It was the sad truth that there had only been in surrounding her, and nothing more. Linka could not function properly without her desire to hurt and leave behind a trail of bloody darkness and despair.

"You were simply made to kill, quite frankly," he calmly ended.

The rifle in her hand. The near empty magazine it held. Linka's joint mission with Lupa of Grimmtown to kill the stupid Lynn clone and avenge her people. The fact that everyone saw Linka that way... It did something to her. Made her feel... Like there was nothing for Linka beyond that. No life. No life that she felt she could live. What could she do, but keep walking without even a smile?

"Y-you take that back!"

He got her. Checkmate. "It is because of Lynn that I've looked the other way, as long as you did nothing that seemed suspicious, dirty, or noisy. And for a great thirteen years, you have done just that, until recent events have escalated."

"I know that..." Linka couldn't ever show her gratitude to the speedster, and wouldn't be able to either now.

Nnyl. Grimmtown. The duo's mission, and the severing of ties. The acts of their defiance. Where would it lead to? What would Linka do now?

"You violated our deal, broke your family's trust and involuntarily terminated your affiliation with us. You are now an enemy of the Agency, as well as those on our side. You know what that means. We've been too lenient with you for so long, so I suggest you come quietly or deadly force will be used should you actually manage to escape this time."

The odds were not in their favor. Linka, Lupa, and the redhead could get away with all agents wounded, even the director as well. It was all a matter of timing it right. Pity that Lupa hadn't jumped in yet to help Linka. She didn't turn around, or otherwise she would alert them of her next move.

She lost count on how many shots she had taken, but Linka blindly estimated about five bullets were left. The row of men were still planted as trees around her and the building. She had to buy some time as she came up with a plan. "So tell me..."

First, she'd fire them off at random.

"How did you manage to find us? We did our best to cover our tracks and not appear on any public surveillance area."

The director shook his head. "Yeah, you did it perfectly, but did we ever mention we have our own weaponized satellite?" He pointed up into the sky. "It's not as big as you'd think it would be, but that was how we've been tracing your whereabouts. Wherever go, no matter how far, you can't outrun us."

Linka looked up and flipped the middle finger into the sky. "You really do have unlimited funds. Goddamn it."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Lupa and Lucky are still awaiting your orders, or otherwise they'd have escaped. It'll be much easier if we take you all at once, for it'll just waste time and resources going around in circles trying to capture you."

"And it's fun to troll you guys, I can assure you of that," Linka chuckled. "I'm not going to stop now. Your abomination is set loose and Lupa and I will be the ones to correct your mistake. And you know why?" The rifle now lined up with the director's face. "Because she fucked with my plans!"

Linka fired, but the bullets did not go where she aimed for. They curved like stray rockets and impacted in different areas. If that wasn't enough to catch Linka by surprise, Lupa yanked the rifle away and had it bent in half right above Linka. Finally, the weapon was dropped and made a pretty ugly thud.

"LINKA!" Lupa was being a bipolar nuisance Linka had trouble reading. The Lucy clone was all for taking down anyone who got in their way, and had a mind to actually kill some of them back when Lemy and company were being sent away. Where was that Lupa? Where was the same Lupa who was goading her into the mission when there was self-doubt present before?

Maybe she should kill Lupa in the end, too. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"They're not the enemy!" Lupa protested.

Linka was truly lost after that. Not long ago, Lupa had set herself in their crosshairs after her own transgression. The line was crossed, and yet Lupa was here, acting like it could work out. Some sort of freebie. "Make up your mind, Lupa! You were ready to kill anyone who was going to take them away! And now you're taking it back!"

Lupa came floating down in front of Linka. "I was angry at the time, Linka! They were going to be-" She didn't dare forget how horrified and bloodthirsty she became when she knew what the kids' future would be for them. She didn't want that for them, or anyone for that matter. No blinking, no looking away, and no distractions. What kind of life was that? "I know I hate it, but I have to accept it! It took me awhile to know, that wherever the training facility is, I know he's safe from junior Lynn!"

Lupa hated the idea of him being affiliated with the officials who would send them to fight and risk their lives. The same general idea that was carried and applied to those in the military.

Linka was still onboard on liberating the kids for Lupa's sake, whether or not she still agreed to it. "But what about-"

"ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS FIND AND END LYNN-CLONE!" Lupa had made it simple, even with all the side tasks they needed to accomplish along the way. She turned to the director, lowering her booming voice. "And as for you, we have our own mission and you're not gonna stop us until we kill your terrible creation."

"This is a matter of official business, Lupa. Stand down, and we will assure you that Link-X will be dealt with. As of now, she is our top priority, and I suggest you don't interfere with our investigation. You two are in enough hot water as it is already, and I'm sure you don't want to drown further than this." He noticed Linka's wound. "That looks serious, Linka."

"I can survive these," she spat out.

"But Lupa and Lucky can't if they get ravaged. Come now, would you be willing to risk their lives in hunting down an adversary more stronger and faster than you? Luna lost her own life trying to fight, and you both were there to see that. Luna, and the pheno girls the rowdy boy who told us were named... Uhh, Leia and Tabby, I believe?"

Lucky was in cover, and had the pistol Linka had forced him to take, all ready to begin shooting. Well, he was at first, but then the facts were dropped, and the reality Linka had no plan to advertise or remind. Death, it was definitely down this road. The reaper had taken hold of Luna already, and who was next?

Certainly not him, he didn't want to be. He didn't want to die during the Linka Loud crusade. And thus, he re-evaluated his heavily forced decision on being here, with these two law-breaking fugitives. He hadn't wondered how he had stayed alive up to here before, but his eyes averted, and saw that the elder director was preaching down just for him. The dude made sense, and Lucky was blinded by-

"Hey!" He came out, and dropped the gun in his hands, neglecting it. "I... I don't wanna be here... I really don't..."

Linka and Lupa were expecting this to happen eventually, but the timing was too soon and inconvenient. They couldn't blame him, the boy was put into danger a handful of times and it was only now that he wanted to opt out and live. He was scared. Unlike them. Unlike her.

"I'm sorry, Linka. I don't-" He took a sigh just before facing her. "I don't want to be killed... And neither should you two."

She couldn't at all blame him, and withdrew her words just this one time. On the bright side, that was a load off of Linka's back. "Alright, kid..."

Lucky retreated to the old man's side. He didn't have any words to convince them to surrender. They were hard, they were stubborn, but Linka was the one with raging fires in her heart. Merely asking her to stand down was futile, and if you were that person, it would be a death wish to be carried out by her.

Her, and Lupa, versus them all. "You can throw me in fucking space for all I care, but that's after Nnyl dies. Come on, give us a pass until she dies, and then I'll come quietly. I promise."

"I'm afraid we will not reach a negotiation here. Men..."

The many secret agents closed in on the two, and Linka ran towards a pair. "Alright-" Lupa had another idea, and holstered the attacking Linka back with a hard tug on her shirt. She fell hard on her back, groaning in tremendous pain. "OW, LUPA! JUST BECAUSE I DON'T GET HURT EASILY DOES NOT MEAN I CAN'T FEEL SHIT!"

"STOP ATTACKING EVERYONE FOR ONE MINUTE!" Lupa looked back to the director. "Linka shouldn't face the consequences for her actions. It was me... It was all me, I'm the one who roped her into my own situation." Owning up, confessing what this place was, and taking the heat of responsibility was no easy task for Lupa.

"WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! LUPA!"

"It was Lynn-Clone who made me come back... She-"

"I am aware of what she has done to this place, and I know how much it means to you to have your revenge on her, but this is the burden of my decision, so I must be the one to capture and contain-"

"C-contain? No, not that! She deserves to die! Don't you see?!" Lupa was disgusted to the core, and got all antsy that she lost her grasp on Linka. This one quickly got up and sped past Lupa, headbutting and pushing down the head of the Agency rather swiftly.

"That's why you wanna handle it, and not us. You still believe she can be tamed and used for your own schemes! You should know that she has killed countless innocent phenos! Phenos who ran into hiding because of those stupid anti-pheno laws! How can you even think about trying to recapture her?! She has earned a special place in Hell where I'll send her myself! Your damn agendas are gonna be the death of all of us!" The speech ended with fists flying out, a sustained but brutal beating that was cut short when three of the agents pulled the crazed Linka away from the director.

Lupa didn't need to rile them up in the way Linka was clearly adamant to try and do. The girl was insanely fueled with edge more than Lupa had believed. It may have been that Linka was running on only one fuel source rather than the two Lupa strived on. If they were to come across any obstacles, Linka would only make it hard by choosing to fight over retreat. No unnecessary bloodshed was what Lupa agreed upon, but Linka...

 _Damn you, Linka..._

Linka was too much. The one person of the group who would delay them, or slow them down. Sure, the young woman had skill and knowledge like Lupa, but of the two, Lupa had more control over her desire to kill and harm over time. And that was thanks to those around her. Those whom Linka could've been saved by, if she only chose to come with Lupa all those years ago.

Things would be different... Peaceful. Maybe death was in store for them in that life.

"Linka..." Lupa shouldn't have bothered since the start. Maybe the mission was one she had to accomplish solo. "I'm leaving you to be locked away..."

Linka didn't want anymore surprises. She screamed in anger, but also in fear, the same way Lola would have if she was still alive. "NO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

Lupa created herself a window; the dirt around them kicked in and formed into a tornado, concealing all agents and Linka in the dead center. She covered her eyes and mouth, cursing herself mentally. _Lupa! You incredible jerk, don't you dare be joking!_

At first, Linka thought of it as an act, and if she were to hold her hand up, maybe Lupa would fly by and take her away. She did just that, but her hand only felt the rattling cloud of dirt rub around her hand. "LUPA!"

The telekinetic-enabled clone actually searched through the downed director's pockets and found seven round teleporters there. She took four only, and then ominously stepped backwards into the brown cloud.

"Inside! Search the building!"

Linka understood Lupa's plan by then; she cut Linka loose and decided to fly solo, leaving Linka to be in the hands of the Agency. Did she even remember what would happen to her? Were they not just talking about how to perfectly get away with it awhile ago? This whole ordeal not only pissed her off, but it hurt Linka at the same time. How despicable of Lupa.

The dust settled painfully slowly, and Linka was at the bad end of so many guns, that she might as well have been campaigning for the sixth John Wick sequel. It wouldn't hurt her, but the compact submachine were aimed not on her body, but right into her face. Smart. "Alright..."

Linka knew when defeat came knocking. She raised her hands high after standing upright again.

Lucky knew not of the face Linka made this time. He recognized the angry, happy, and mostcof the other facial expressions that formed from Linka's face. This one... This one was a rare face. She looked... Sad? Her bottom lip quivered, and it was hard to spot if you were moving. That's what Lucky saw; a form of sadness. Maybe Linka was let down by Lupa. That was pretty hardcore, to have just been left there by her own partner-in-crime.

"I guess I'm under arrest now, aren't I?" She asked solemnly.

"To summarize shortly, yes," the director answered as he rose from the ground. All bloody and dirty, he scruffed away at the dirt his nice suit caught on. "And this was quite the elegant wear it looks to be. What a shame."

 _That doesn't even look good on you, dude._ "I'll bet..."

His men emerged from the vacant building, revealing no white-haired rebel in their grasp. "She got away, sir!"

"Okay, Linka..." It turned out he had some handcuffs she didn't spot or hear when she knocked him down. Must've been a custom-made pair. He proceeded to cuff her and rolled one of his remaining rpund teleporters. "Where is Lupa going? I know you two have probably discussed this plan-"

"She's going to gather clues to find Nnyl. It's not rocket science, douche."

"Find clues? That's impossible, considering you both don't know how she thinks, or how-" Then, he figured it out.

"You're right, but we know who does," she sneered.

"Hmmm, I suppose we should be on the lookout for unexpected guests. In the meantime, I'd better go ahead and erase Lucky's unwanted memories a second time."

"W-what was that?" Lucky didn't know what he meant by that. "A second time? L-Linka, what's he talking about?"

She was rendered quiet, having no reply to answer with, and that was some sort of response to look upon. The mind wipe didn't need to be hidden from him, but Linka did it anyway.

"Of all the things that you had no trouble telling him, you... Leave out the part where we removed horrible traumatizing memories from him? You really are something else, Linka."

"Linka..." The rotten smell of bullshit emitted heavily from Linka. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is this true?"

And yet she persisted to keep shut.

"You-" What was it that was erased? What had he lost forever? "Did... Did I know her? Have I ever seen her before?"

In that moment, it was just them together. Lucky, now seeking a few more answers to the topic, stared down at Linka. The look was a mixture of disappointment, regret, and anger all at once. He trusted her more than the others, and had specialized some sort of bond with her. She was the key to the hidden truth he so desperately wanted, and then there was this. Just one secret, and it left him unsatisfied again. He was done with Linka.

"I'm sorry, kid," she softly muttered. "You have, yes..."

Even though they were such memories around bad circumstances, those were all of Lori he had. Linka understood why it had to be, and probably the reason she didn't know why she hid it became clearer now; the boy was simply better off not knowing. Less pain to share among each other. Less pain that turned out to be anything but prevented.

"I... I can't remember!" And he was weeping away, having already broke down by it. Linka faced away from him, shaking her cuffs upward.

She had no excuse for keeping it away, but at the same time, she also didn't need to explain herself to him. "Stop the rain, kid. It's over..."

She sank into guilt, ready for the beginning of the end of her life.

"By the way, Linka," the director began. "Do you really believe you and her are sufficient foes for her? Link-X has had an accelerated rate of growth, but it's not that which I allude to. No..." He smiled. "Her speed has surpassed to that of Lynn's own."

Linka actually gasped.

"She's leveled to be at Mach 3, and Lynn is barely on Mach 2. The gap should tell you what you can expect if you fight her as you are. You'll need the speed serum and maybe a few years to reach Lynn alone."

The blue portal opened up for them to leave. Linka's hope and crave for bloody justice died with those words. Faster than Lynn, stronger than Luna. That was what she signed up for, and the fine print hadn't been known, for it hadn't been read. Stupid of her to think she could make a difference. The odds... They were fine by her. They were perfect. Were. No longer.

"Damn it..." She couldn't beat a formidable foe like that. Not with Lupa, and not without proper physical upgrades. "Mach... Three..." She didn't dare ask how fast that was, but the point wasn't lost on her.

 _We... Can't win... Like this..._

 **July 18th, 2039**

Linka didn't get to see them, but maybe they were watching her from the cameras. She was in a dirty, ragged prison jumpsuit. Pretty soon, she'd have her own nice little cell awaiting her in a few hours' time. Whether the prison itself would be an advanced high-tech graded penitentiary, or a run-down, gritty place for a horror movie, was unknown and kept a secret from Linka.

The restraints that were set on both her hands and fert, clanked heavily as she boarded the sturdy, white prison bus. Linka wasn't sure how they set-up for her to be a prisoner, unless the Agency were really watching them the whole time and managed to pin most of the dirt back to her.

She was the only passenger there, and the driver, unknown if an agent or guard of the prison, had ignited the engine. It roared the same kind of roar Linka had some visions of when her descendant was riding the school bus. It was like that in sound, but not visually. No other kids. No destination to school. No Clyde around. Clyde...

Things really have changed since the Royal Woods era. How depressing it was when the curtains came down to reveal how fucked up the life design turned out for them.

She sighed and looked out the window as the bus took off from the facility, passing through many streets, homes, some few stores, and then the freeway. It was boring to look, but Linka felt like she would be happier out there than in here. Her hand came up and pressed on the window.

She wanted it dearly. She wanted something greater than this, to leave. Leave, and to run away. Not like the first time. A successful getaway, but maybe that wasn't meant for her. Maybe it was just folly, and her destiny was to remain in this nothing. Fight. Die. Simple as that. The director... He was right about her.

And it killed her a little.

Maybe she'd find something in prison, and hopefully it would be good. A good experience, however many years she'd spent there. At least she would actually be away from all of this bullshit. Linka smiled and leaned back. Yes, she smiled. But the only problem was that it was a forced one at that.

* * *

 **AN: The trio has disbanded now! Linka's really done it now. What will be in store for this fic? Will Lupa be the key victor to defeat Nnyl, or must there be more than telekinesis and tactical planning to take down that clone? This is it, this is what the whole fic is about, with some side arcs and unexpected drop-ins from both familiar and new characters. Safe to say we're nearing the halfway point of this fic, and there is much to unveil before the final battle takes place.**

 **I'm going to try and develop those I haven't properly developed in the first installment of this... Series, and I'm sure there will be a few rollercoaster rides of emotion. I've had a good heartfelt thing around Lana, that will pay tribute to an artist I'm sure you know all too well. Apart from that, I have other great moments I thought of, and maybe it might have been needed, or rather, might be. Present tense. Not too late. I shan't disappoint.**

 **Knowing this is a Loud House fic, I have to keep grounding it by elements constantly, which proves to be an intermediate task this time around, but I can do this definitely. Remember One Flu Over The Loud House? Yeah, that's coming as a flashback. To hell with it, since I shared that, I guess I should also drop;**

 **I've crammed Loan Loud into this. Well, this fic's version of her anyway. Expect her near the end.**


	19. Aftermath

**July 13th, 2039 - One Hour After Nnyl's Attack**

Another one bit the dust. This time it was Luna, and two innocent kids right under their noses. Or, right above their heads if they were going to be literal here.

Luan had dried herself of leaks from her eyeballs when the news came in the form of wheelchair-bound Lynn. Something had indeed happened upside, going wrong as Linka and Lucky left again, and this time Lupa was thrown into the mix. Lynn was silent after telling her and Lily what had happened.

Lana, who was knocked out by Linka, got herself in the medical bay alongside Lynn. Her face did not bother to cry, and only skipped right into the mourning phase. She was looking upwards in her comfy bed she had been carried to.

Lily kept sobbing until she grew weary of it, with Luan having to hold her closely. "Wh-why? Why my sister Luna?" She weeped.

This time, Lynn thought to pin this on someone different than Linka. "I couldn't ever imagine Lynnette ever doing such a thing. She's... She couldn't be. She isn't a murderer..." Lynn faced away from them, facing the direction of a corner of the med bay. "I'm so sorry, you guys..."

She didn't know what was worse in her case; the broken legs that left her out of commission until they healed slowly, or the agonizing death of their best sister who played the role of head of the family for the past decade. In any case, there was no victorious win to celebrate anytime soon. If only, if just only she didn't allow Nnyl to be created, or at the very least, have expressed some concern from all possibilities it/she could have presented in the future.

There was no predicting she would go rogue and desire to fulfill the only purpose she was created for in the first place. And every one who fit her target qualifications, any and all phenos, would be on her list. That meant them, for sure. But it went to a personal level with the Louds, meaning Luan and Lucky were in danger as well.

Nnyl, that was Lynn's burden to bear alone. No need for Linka or Lupa to butt in.

"Sis, we didn't need another Lynn clone..." That was Luan's first sentence after the delivery of the current event.

"I had no say in it," she replied, still looking away. "I should have done something. What was I supposed to to? I thought...-" She remembered how she tried to justify the creation of the clone, back when they were fighting. And Lupa had to berate her for it.

Lynn, unable to reproduce the natural way, accepted Nnyl, back when she was Lynnette, as the daughter God denied in her future. She was ever so grateful for the artificial human, up until the clone proved to be the type of monster she was made to capture.

Lynn didn't see the clone the way everyone around them did, and she believed it was enough to keep Lynnette up on her feet, but it never happened like Lynn wanted it it.

The clone, being a clone, had no deep, human value and achievements when compared to both Luna and Lynn. She wasn't a real girl, born out of real parents, and all she had were the many victories and losses that weren't her own. Lynn gathered that's what the clone meant way back then, when Lynnette was on the brink of crossing lines. The thing she made sense of was that Nnyl was acting on her own accord to overwrite all progress that was not hers.

Lynn, always the one who wanted to be a winner, and never beneath. That's how junior was acting on; the need to surpass. And... Since it was made clear that she didn't intend to spare even them, it only meant Nnyl wanted no competition, no rival, and no chance to be defeated. The perfect Lynn, and yet... Imperfect.

"-It would be better..."

"How could it have been better? Why did you, or they, think this was a good idea?" Luan let go of Lily and approached Lynn from behind.

"We never had one of the Link clones as a true enemy before. So I thought to myself, what was the harm of having a new one join the club? I mean, this one came from our side, not one made down from Lisa's dead empire!"

"Hey, are you defending her?" Luan accused.

"What?" Lynn tried to spin around in her wheelchair. "No, I'm not! Not after what she did!" She pointed angrily at Luan. "I could never condone such a thing..."

"I don't know. I don't know where the hell you went wrong with "Lynnette" as you named her, but you, Lynn, you are just as responsible as Linka and Lupa are. From what we've been told, she attacked Lupa's territory and summoned her back here. Oh, and now she and Linka have self-assigned themselves the mission to kill Lynnette. I don't understand why..." Luan pushed Lynn's hand down. "Why you didn't tell us? Tell me, what was it, Lynn? What was the reason you kept her existence a secret all this time?"

Lynn sighed and folded her arm back. "She... Is dying."

"W-what?" Luan asked, shocked. Lana and Lily turned their heads to her, now lending their ears. "What do you mean dying?"

"Rapid growth rate was the only problem with her, and it was the second reason she was put under suspension. They still planned to use her when they had advanced and created consumable destabilization pills, the meds they were working around the clock for months to make. As of yet, they had no success in it, and neither had a way to reset her mind, when it was clear she didn't meet their expectations in the field." Lynn rolled back from Luan, shaking her head with a blank expression. "I couldn't tell you how she escaped, because I don't know. She wasn't able to move once she was in her own little tank tube."

It didn't matter where or when Lynnette had transformed into the Nnyl persona she was now. Lynn and company were placed back in the crosshairs, and something had to be done.

"I want you guys to go into hiding immediately. There's no telling when she'll pop out again, but she knows you're here, so-"

"I'll say!" Nnyl made herself the surprise guest to them, kicking away at Lynn's wheelchair. The crippled brunette flipped and fell on stomach. "Surprise, losers!"

Luan moved back and grabbed Lily with her. "Y-you!"

"Me!" Nnyl smiled back.

"You!" Lana repeated.

The blonde Lynn clone drooped her head and shoulders at Lana. "Really?"

"Wh-what do you want?" Lily squeaked at her.

Lynn groaned in dear pain, and dragged herself away from Nnyl. "Agh! G-goddamn you!"

"Uh-uh-uh, not so fast there..." Nnyl immobilized the brunette by standing right on her broken legs. "It's not going to heal anytime soon, as you are getting old and weak already. What a wondrous advantage for me! Now I don't have to worry about you for awhile."

Lynn screamed higher this time, taking in the pure agony by force. "Stop it! Stop it!"

"You're hurting her!" Lana roared.

"Lynn!" Lily cried out. "Don't hurt my sister!"

"Oh?" Nnyl moved her foot away from Lynn. "What about you, Lana? Would you want the honor of dying right now?"

The tomboy turned over in her bed, and then reset the time since the last use of her own superspeed. She charged at Nnyl, but made it only to be stopped and grabbed by the throat. "Hccck!"

"Linka and Lupa aren't around, I'm sure. Tell me where they are!" She firmed her grip tighter around Lana's neck, turning her red in the face. "Well?"

Lynn raised a hand to her clone. "S-stop please!"

Lily broke away from Luan and made her own daring move. "Luna! You took my big sister Luna!" She landed a few weak punches onto Nnyl's shoulders, but was only making her laugh a little. "Give me back my sister!"

Nnyl raised a leg and kicked her away. "Too little, too late for that, my sweet."

The youngest sister toppled over Lynn's back. "Oof!" Lily knocked the air out of her.

"Luan? Care to-?"

"They ran off! I don't know where they are! P-please, let Lana go! And d-don't hurt my other sisters! Please!" Luan dropped to her knees and folded her hands together, as if she was praying to God. Nnyl would've enjoyed it, if not for that little problem.

Maybe she should have killed them all before. After all, they were all there. A shame that she preferred the harder way to challenge herself extra. "Well, no matter. I guess this is still fun for me. A nice lovely game of hide and seek."

She disappeared the same way she appeared after letting Lana go, giving Luan time to tend to her sisters. Lana was coughing and gasping for air again. "O-oh my-"

"H-hey, don't talk, just breathe. Breathe." Luan patted her back and moved her attention to Lily. "Lilster?"

Lily was conscious, but awake. She seemed to be paralyzed, up until Luan helped her back up. "It was her... She has Lynn's face."

Lynn sighed with guilt on the floor, feeling even more at fault now. "I'll get better... I have to get better, and I'll-"

"You'll do what?" Nnyl returned- And this time, was holding Lily's baby in her arms.

"LINCOLN!" Lily made a snatch for her son right at the heart-stopping sight of a villain holding him.

"Oh? Is that his name?" She asked sarcastically, before frowning. "No, seriously, why the fuck?"

"GIMME MY BABY!" She merely tripped over as Nnyl just spun around to deny Lily her child.

"It's a pain in the ass to have some fuck-ups, all because I didn't make sure Lupa was dead. I guess it has its pro, seeing as how I missed those five kiddies as well." Nnyl switched over to carry Lincoln in one arm. "You see this?"

The four sisters followed her hand down on her thighs. Around her hips, she had a belt-shaped device that none of them were familiar with. "Wh-what is that thing?"

"My own little boost!" With a tap of the center of the belt-thing, a blue portal popped up from behind. "The baby is coming with me, and you only have Lynn and Linka to really blame here!"

"L-Linka..." Lynn whispered.

"NO, PLEASE! HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Lily pleaded.

"Goodbye to the present, dear child!" Nnyl told the baby. She jumped back and vanished into the portal, smiling fiendishly at the last second. Lily pounced up and jumped after her, but missed her chance one second too late. She fell again, this time harder.

"N-NO!"

"Oh, God... Oh, my God..." Luan pressed a hand to her chest, gravely shaken by this turn of events. "She... Took him. J-just like that..."

"L-Lily-" Lynn started.

"No, don't even!" Lily fired back. "Don't even-!"

"I'm sorry..." Lynn stayed on the floor, unable to bring herself to try and move around. It was all too horrible, relentlessly unforgivable. "I can't even begin-"

* * *

 **Upcoming chapter Before the Fall coincides here, involving Nnyl and future Linka -ID16**

* * *

They say third time's the charm. Maybe it might have been true here, as a new portal opened up from behind the girls, and Nnyl had, once again, paid them a visit. "So, uhh... I had a little chat with Linka," she revealed, still carrying the baby. "I guess I'm returning it to you!"

And Nnyl forked up the child back to Lily, who was only happy to have baby Lincoln back in her arms again. "My Lincy! My sweet boy!"

Lynn was just as confused as Luan's face portrayed. "What was the point of that if you were just gonna bring him back?" She hissed away.

"Oh, well, that's the thing," Nnyl pointed out. "I got something good out of that chat, and I'm feeling generous right now. And don't worry, I won't come back a fourth time today."

Lily snuggled her child firmly, taking it away from Nnyl. It had come back crying, to which she consoled it in her motherly state. "Mommy's here, mommy's here."

Lynn dragged herself right up to Nnyl's legs and began to hammerfist the feet. "Fuck you, and this whole need to be superior than us. Don't think I didn't figure you out, cause I did!"

"Figure-" Nnyl laughed. "I thought this was simple enough to comprehend. I fulfill my purpose of taking out all freaks, and then you guys, I'm saving the best for last."

"A-after killing all phenos in the world?" Lynn stuttered.

"Oh yeah, a real genuine extermination. Now, I know. I know. I only had to capture whoever they instructed me to go after, but-"

"You personally want them all out of your way permanently, to save you the trouble of having future rivals. You want none of that. D-damn you... You vile witch. How can you be me?" She didn't stop trying to hurt Nnyl, hoping to maybe even leave a tiny aching sensation on her feet. "Bitch!"

"I just am!" Nnyl pressed on her metallic belt and waved innocently at Lynn. "Well, I'd love to chit-chat about my history but there are pressing matters to attend to. And oh! Don't worry, I will let you in on what happened to me before this. Consider it your final request I'm granting! Ta-ta!" She took two steps back and left through the blue portal behind her.

"LYNNETTE!" Lynn screamed, sending her two fists upwards to smash against the smooth white floor. "GAH!"

"L-Lily, oh my God!" Luan thought it safe to check up on each other. "Is he okay?"

Lily, cooling from her grief-stricken state, whimpered with a nod. "Y-yes, he is. Thank God she didn't harm him."

"H-how the hell did she get through? Without being detected?" Lana asked. "Surely someone had to seen something! What are these idiots doing?"

Lynn stayed silent, having known why it was. Unfortunately, Luan noticed her silence. "Start talking, Lynn."

"That thing she was wearing..." Lynn pushed herself up to sit, and palced her hands on her knees. "They developed it here, called it... Ugh, I don't remember, it's a long title, but it's a time travel device. She can move wheneverand wherever she fucking wants. Th-" And with that, it made Nnyl sound like the untouchable, untraceable foe they never asked for. "Fuck..."

Lily and Lana were horrified to hear such a thing. "Whenever and wherever...-"

"Lynn... You- You fucking idiot..." Luan spat out. "Why?"

"Why what?" Lynn asked.

"WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS OVER US? OVER YOUR OWN FUCKING FAMILY? WOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU DECIDED NOT TO PLAY DOG TO THE AGENCY?!" She howled it out as loudly and mighty as she could, and strained her voice in the process, ending up in some light coughs.

Lynn had no answer for her at this time. She only looked away in mere disgrace and left it at that. She couldn't even apologize this time.

Luan was furious, but also scared altogether. Lynn was at fault here, in her eyes. Maybe Lily and Lana felt the same way, maybe they didn't. Whatever the case, she found herself to be mad at Lynn in the end. "I can't believe you chose them over us. I never said anything before because I just wanted you to be happy. But this affects more than just your happiness, Lynn. Luna made the right choice, why didn't you? Why didn't you?!"

Maybe it was such that Lynn was doing her own running away from them. Running, it wasn't unfamiliar to her at all. She ran from them when their lives changed. She ran from her first ever boyfriend. More importantly, she ran again and again... From her own flesh and blood.

Maybe it was that the obvious missing family members would remind her of how much loss and pain they endured. Maybe Lynn hadn't strengthened up in that aspect, and decided to escape that reality by being an Agency dog. The entrance of Lynnette/Nnyl dumbfounded her but it came to be something great. At least, until afterwards. Life was indeed a strange concept.

"Luan..." Lily decided enough was enough. "H-help me with my baby."

Luan stared down at the helpless Lynn for a few long-felt moments. "Yeah... Of course." She turned away from Lynn, providing no assistance to help her back up on the tipped wheelchair.

Lynn was left there on the floor. "I'm s-sorry..."

She'd go to repeat it softly until some agents" a group of five, had been summoned after the cameras picked up Nnyl coming in and out. The rest were just bringing each other to a calm, but Lynn was the one still stuck in her trance, going on loop and still saying it. "I'm..."

She'd have to make it up to them, in any way she could. That meant to get back on her feet, and surpass her own limits. Train harder, run faster, become superior than yesterday's Lynn. The minute she was put back on her wheelchair by two of the agents, she did het best to move and wiggle her feet. Maybe it would strain her from helaing faster, but Lynn needed them functional poste haste.

After hardened attempts at it, Lynn finally managed to move her toes. And she stopped, only to cry out of both joy and disappointment in herself. "S-sorry..."

The bay was abandoned, save for her. Too ashamed to return back to their living quarters, Lynn remained in the room, silently weeping for her role in the mess, and how fucked up things had become. At the end of her thoughts, Luna came to mind.

No. No more of her British remarks would come to pass. No more jamming around the house when Lynn would visit, or decide to move back, from here on out. None of that. "...L-Luna."

She didn't win after all.

* * *

 **AN: Strife imminent. I think this works, I want to believe it makes sense as much as it can for itself. Lynn or Linka, who is the one to blame for this? Perhaps both, in the sense they kept silent about critical information, but who's to say? Linka hid it so that no one interferes, and if Lynn's reason might not have been clear, she hid it to avoid the disappointment she has in Nnyl, with a bonus of her not long for this world. And when I mean that, but switched. "Hey, I didn't tell you she exists, because she's gonna die if we let her out." That's it, that's the tl;dr of Lynn's reasoning. Plus, "Did I mention she's a psycho? Best not to tell you after all."**

 **Oh, yeah, some questions remain. How did Nnyl go from a Lynn lookalike to the complete inverse of her in secrecy? Someone would have had to notice, right? Yeah, the first clue is the time traveling gizmo she's got on her. Second, her eyes; what is up with a pair of eyes of red pupils/iris and a gray shade around em? We'll get there.**

 **Eventually.**


	20. Before the Fall

**Unspecified Time - Unspecified Location**

Lily and Luan had to have been long gone by now. Funny... It was funny that Linka, who was missing much of her left arm, still believed Lupa carried the peaceful ideals where the living dead can still live among the life. She had them come, and there was no blaming her for that, for it was the escape from the pit they all fell in, even Lily. Poor sweet Lily, whose child had been taken from her.

There was no escaping from that reality.

All alone she was again. Luan's words had still been spiraling around her head. She knew they, the remaining faction of the Loud family, had no intention to accept her back to integrate with them. How much did Lucky grow to? Where was Lupa now? Where exactly did she end up?

Linka couldn't go home, or anywhere else for that matter. She had been a fugitive, one of the most wanted people in the U.S. And yet... Suicide was not a valid option.

She closed her eyes, choosing to sleep the world away. There wasn't much to do for a day or two, until she'd run out of food. Eventually she would run out of the source, and she'd have no choice but to relocate or go on days' worth of hunting.

She had just closed her eyes for about a minute, when the ancient cabin had began to fiercely shake. The table clanked, and all dishes and utensils rattled about. Linka got up and waited it out. "Really?" How convenient in terms of timing.

But it wasn't an earthquake; the bright blue oval opened up in the center of the cabin. The trembling had ceased as quickly as it started. Linka shielded her eyes. "What the fuck?"

In visible range, a deathly and familiar green blur zipped out of the blue oval. "I see you're living quite rich," Nnyl joked. "I'm sure you remember me."

It was the same villain Linka remembered killing years ago. The damn Lynn and Luna clone that went and killed tens of hundreds. The blonde hair, the red eyes, and the inversed suit based on Lynn's own. This was Nnyl, and she looked like she hadn't aged at all since Linka last saw her. Now there was the primary question. "H-how are you alive?! I- I killed you! We cut you in half!"

Nnyl had come bearing a merciless smile, but it flipped upside down. "So..." The blonde clone was holding something in her arms. An object that was concealed in a cover. No, a blanket. Whatever it was, it surely moved by itself. Was that a-? "You managed to kill me, huh? You and Lupa?"

"W-what the hell?! I don't understand!" Linka jumped up, ready for a fight. "How are you-?"

"How am I her? It's simple..." Nnyl tilted her head down and signaled to her waist. "Remember when I wore this back then?" There was a weird looking U-shaped belt that was wrapped around her waist.

Linka could barely remember it. She had always been to busy trying to destroy the clone to notice the details. "Oh... Is that...?"

"The Agency perfected time travel to the core, whereas the Black Network only had one-way tickets to either the future or past. With this, I can go any time period I choose, at any given moment. I've done my research from all the years prior to my birth, just in case I don't fuck up the timeline. I shouldn't care at all, but..." Nnyl looked upwards. "The chromites up there aren't to be trifled with, take it from me."

"Right, yeah... So you're from thirty-nine, and you came up here just to see me?"

Nnyl smiled and raised the thing in her hands. "I've just come back from taking something from a certain someone. Care to see?"

Linka moved away from her lousy mattress. "Is that a bomb or someth-"

The baby had then woken up once Nnyl set it down on Linka's bed, and Linka herself felt her heart jump out of place. Nnyl had just finished making off with Lily's missing baby. "Surprise! It is our... Nephew? I can't keep up with our proper relations to the real Louds. Well, look at this!"

Linka's face of sheer and utter horror didn't go away.

"You should really see the look on your face! It's almost like you didn't expect me to bring it to you! Well..." Nnyl took advantage of the shocked Linka and pulled on her cheeks. "This is all on you, hehe."

"You..." This was too unpredictable. All this time, all this goddamn time had they assumed the worst for Lily Loud's son. Whatever pain, however painful, and whoever it affected... Linka had to assume responsibility. "You're going to pay. I know for a fact we beat you. Killed you!"

"Oh, don't tell me of my own future! Well... At least I know I die by your hands." Her joy faded. "Hmmm... I think if I kill you before this, this won't happen, and the baby will end up being spared. Means I have to take it back like it didn't happen, which means a change... Congratulations, you just saved Lily from more heartbreak."

Linka growled in response. "I'm going to... Die... Anyways!"

"Very well, Linka. Looks like I'm not leaving little Lincoln in your care after all. Hmmm..." She was discouraged. "I'm a little peeved to know that I was beaten by the likes of you. Fuck it..."

Linka watched helplessly as Nnyl pressed the center of the mechanical belt. What the thing did was reopen the portal back to the past. Nnyl waved goodbye to Linka. "It's been fun knowing you. The next time I'll see you, it'll be the final time. You make my words."

And with that, Nnyl took the baby back in her arms and wandered into the blue.

When it closed, Linka dropped the act. She found herself smiling, then laughing. "Silly Nnyl. If only you knew..." She stared out the dusty window, not worried at all. Not as long as Nnyl would honor her words and return the baby back to mommy. Whether Linka would fall by Nnyl's hand or not, didn't matter to her, and that was due to a secret not even Nnyl knew.

The memories of Nnyl taking back the baby. That was how their future was written. Not this. Not with a broken Lily for the timespan of... However long it was. Linka didn't need to mention that little fact, where Nnyl almost got her way, but Linka was that close to spilling when the memories of little Lincoln had been getting overwritten by emptier ones of a badder outcome. Thank fuck she pulled it off by revealing their victory. Even if it meant the death of another, it was worth it. Another Loud for an innocent infant.

And the day kept going, not stopping for her scream. Nothing was distracted by her, and no one would be again. It had already been over...

And yet Linka was here.

* * *

 **AN: Part two of of a three-part arc complete. Just one more to go. It's up to debate if this is considered shifting the timeline, but I would have to say it isn't, as it's just a person being moved in time, not a direct change. Apart from that, generally nothing was changed. Or, is it like that? Well, now we have Linka to worry about. Uh oh...**


	21. Nightmare

_"D...Daddy..."_

 _The sweet little angel with the colorless hair tugged her sheets closer upon waking up. She was got, sweaty, and not to mention fearfully bothered by the horrible dream that had just taken form inside the borders of her fragile, childish mind. Her whisper, pure and innocent, called out into the dark room she called her own. Bun-Bun, the stuffed toy rabbit she had taken such a liking to, was there in her arms and returning her affection just by being there for her. But the stuffed rabbit wasn't enough this time._

 _Linka rose up and set the thing down. "D...Daddy!"_

 _The nightmare was fading already from her memory, but she still had it active, and the adrenaline rush she got from it made her cry a little. Her sobbing was just like any normal little girl's own._

 _Why was she crying? She was out of the damn dream._

 _What was the dream about? Linka kept her mind off of it and got out of her bed. The alarm clock on the desk beside her bed was reading 2:26 AM, a very dead hour in which she should be asleep. She flicked the lights on and took a gentle sigh of relief. The light made her feel safe now. Safe, and tranquil. She still wanted comfort from her father, however, so off she decided to go out of her room._

 _She didn't actually, as the doorknob turned by itself and caught her by surprise. In, came none other than Lincoln Loud, the father figure of the girl. "Oh!"_

 _"Heyah, sweetheart. What's with the sudden noise? Are you okay?" He spoke in such a quiet, firm tone that always eased her. Not once had he shouted at or with her, but the highest his voice volume go when he expressed content at any test, achievement, or little success that Linka would pass in, or win at. It made her happy to see father proud of her. His voice, soothing and gentle, one to never make Linka feel off or uncomfortable._

 _"I just..." She scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed and scared. "It was_..."

 _Being an eleven year old girl, there was no way she could have the mind to beg to allow her to sleep with him. She felt that could calm the nerves and bring about a good sleep. "I just had a bad dream is all," she nervously admitted._

 _"Oh, a nightmare, you mean? I'm sure it was nothing. Come, Linka." Lincoln took her hand and guided her back into her bed. Once tucking her in, he planted a nice, but dry kiss on her forehead._

 _"Daddy, what if I get another one again?" She was lightly trembling underneath her pretty pink covers, but he didn't see it. Or maybe he was, but rather ignored it._

 _"Don't worry, Linka. You will not have one, as long as I live. And that's a promise."_

 _The young girl pulled her sheet closer, to the point they came close to hiding her lips. "Do you really mean that, daddy?"_

 _He simply nodded with a wide smile, and then proceeded to pat her head gently. "You sleep well, okay? We have a long day ahead of us after you wake up, okay?"_

 _She returned the gesture with a sweet, sugar-filled smile. "Yes, dad. I can't wait to go on the hiking trip."_

 _"It's going to be tons of fun, my little princess. Anyways..." He moved backwards out of the room. "We must get our sleep to drive us in the day. I'm going to bed, sweetheart." Lincoln switched off the lights in the room and exited the exact way he had come inside._

 _"Yes... Yes, dad..." Linka agreed._

 **Morning**

 _She was happy to know that sleep had gone uninterrupted for the rest of the night. She was the first one up of the two, and was just heading for the bathroom to shower when she looked at her father's bedroom was half open, right across from her. "Huh?"_

 _Had he gone out awhile back? It was around 7 A.M. at the time, so maybe he was down there, cooking up the favorite platter of eggs and bacon Linka loved to eat. "Hey, dad, I'm up!" She looked below the staircase, trying to listen for the unmistakable sound of bacon frying and sizzling so perfectly, that the mere sound made her mouth water and her tongue wiggle out of place._

 _None of that was what she heard down there, however. Not even a reply. The bottom floor of the house was dead empty, apart from her. "Hello?"_

 _He couldn't have been in his bedroom, or it would be closed. "Where are you?"_

 _Linka wandered into Lincoln's territory, peeping around for him. Nothing. His room, pretty much identical to his own closet from the good old kid days, was vacant. The huge queen bed wasn't tidy, and the computer desk in front of that, it had been turned on, but left in idle. The closet on the right side of the bed was also open, and dark. From the looks of it, she deduced Lincoln had gone out while she was still asleep._

 _Maybe he'd come back in time to leave with her for their hiking trip._

 _Linka didn't think much of it and waltzed out of his room to shower. In minutes, she was undressed from her orange nightgown and let the hot water violate and run itself down and all over her body. She scrubbed her hair with shampoo, and worked her way down to soap down the rest of her body. She lost her drowsiness somewhere in between, now fully active and awake for the day._

 _When she finished, Linka dried herself off with the blue towel that hung over the railing outside the shower. She then wrapped into it and let the steam fly out as she left the room. "Ahh..." It surely felt nice like it felt time and time again._

 _Exiting the room, she caught glimpse of a stranger sight in her father's room. The door was actually clpsed this time, and Linka was sure she didn't shut it. She figured he was home, so she, still in her blue towel, went over to knock. "Dad!"_

 _She got no response, and didn't know what to make of it. "Dad?"_

 _Again, no reply. Linka scratched her head and turned her back to his bedroom, when it happened. She heard creaking from behind, and did another 180 degree turn. "H-huh?"_

 _Whatever would be visible from her angle was rendered dark. The room became a depressing pit of empty nothingness that Linka couldn't see past through. She gulped, astonished but scared for reasons she couldn't explain. It was not like night, when the average darkness made Lincoln's bedroom go through the nightly schedule for a darker version of it. "D-daddy?"_

 _Three faint footsteps rolled off from within the blackened pit. She believed it was Lincoln at first, but it wasn't him who emerged from the dark. Her bottom jaw dropped in surprise once the woman, Lynn Loud, greeted her with an piece of wood in her left hand. "Hi, Linka. Daddy's gonna be away for a long while."_

 _The girl was terribly confused by her appearance. "Wait... I know you..." Linka directed her eyes to the object in Lynn's hand. There was a reddish color stained on the visible end of it. Blood. It looked like blood to her. "W-where's my-"_

 _A hand that suddenly touched her shoulder had cut her off. The feel was elegantly gentle, calm as the familiar touch that she knew was her father's. She was glad to know he was here, and could possibly explain what was going on. She didn't think of how he ended up behind her, or how Lynn had popped out like that._

 _"Dad, what's going-" It was definitely the voice of Lincoln, but Linka's eyes witnessed a more graphic sight. Lincoln was bleeding from the side of his waist, which was leaving a bloody mark on his shirt, and ran below past his set of jeans. What was more, was that his entire skin tone looked to that of a zombie, a nasty decomposing green shade. "It's okay, my child. Lynn and Luna will take care of you from now on."_

 _The entire hall had then begun to stretch, with him along with it. Linka raised an arm to grab him, whatever he was. She trembled, scared of what he meant. "D-dad... You need to get to the hospital." She missed her snatch, unable to move. "Where are you going? Dad? Dad! What is going on?!"_

 _"I have to go now, Linka. Behave yourself..." He faded out more quickly than she could comprehend._

 _At this point, Linka was running. Running at her maximum speed to catch him. "DON'T GO! PLEASE!" Suddenly, she was crying as she kept sprinting, but she didn't know why. It was all surreal. It had to be nothing more than a lie. Some sort of dream, maybe an act. An act..._

 _He ended up vanishing before her, but it was only when Linka tripped that she was forced to give in. The crying girl wiped away her tears, not noticing that Lynn, now joined by Luna, had shown up to both sides of her, and touched her shoulders as consolation. Linka got up and faced them. "W-where is he going?! Tell me!"_

 _Luna remained silent, but Lynn simply tossed the plank of wood at Linka's feet. "He's down."_

 _Linka's eyes shot up. "D-down?" What did she mean by that? Where was down? And, who was she? Why did Linka seem to have memory loss at this time? She couldn't even remember her...-_

 _Dream. Nightmare._

 _Linka took another look at the plank. Blood. Linka put two and two together. "D-did you do it? Did you kill him?!"_

 _Both their faces had no tell to tale before, but at the question, Lynn broke her expressionless form and took a step forward. "Yes, yes I did. I killed Lincoln Loud, little one." Lynn crossed her arms and chuckled. "He was just a murderous man, nothing more than that. And the same goes for you." Lynn pointed and then poked Linka pretty hard._

 _"N-no, that's not true! That's not true!" She got angry all of a sudden, a secret flame that was small until a canister of gasoline had suddenly been thrown into it without warning. Linka picked up the bloody plank and then swung it to strike Lynn in her face. She didn't stop there, and only continued to beat Lynn to a pulp. The jock was not acting to defend herself, allowing Linka to let her beat her up._

 _The white-haired girl hit her everywhere. Head, arms, legs, chest. She didn't let up, she didn't give in. Lynn was bleeding from freshly made scrapes in most of her face. Her mouth and nose followed cue and dripped blood as well. Lynn then smiled and the clapped, which finally ceased the daughter. "You make it too easy, junior psycho."_

 _Linka's rage flared up. She was being challenged by Lynn. "SHUT UP!" She swung the plank one last time, aiming for the top of Lynn's head. But Luna, who had been a statue up to this point, made a move. She stopped Linka from delivering the death blow._

 _"Enough, Linka," Luna declared. "We don't want you being responsible for the death of another one of us."_

 _Linka had yet to receive context. "Another-" She blinked, and once opening her eyes, Luna was on the floor, motionless. And Lynn was back to normal, or at least no longer bruised and bleeding. She was at Luna's side, crying right into her chest. "What is this?"_

 _"Me. It's me, Linka," came the voice of a second Luna. Linka had just taken notice that the scene had changed. No longer was she in her house, but in an unknown location. The Agency base, actually. "I'm dead, and it's your fault."_

 _She shook her head in denial. "No! No, I didn't kill anyone! I would never hurt a-" It came back, all of it, at once. The clones, Lincoln's death, the current mission, and-_

 _Linka turned around, and sure enough, Nnyl's chamber was empty. Near it were the bodies of Leia and Tabby. "This wasn't on me! How could we have known this would happen?!"_

 _"My death's on you! Now I can't come back! I can't laugh anymore with Luan. I can't have a friendly arm wrestling match with Lynn! I won't be able to see Lana advance her mechanic skills she so enthusiastically wants to advance and sharpen. And you know what the worst thing about this is?" The second Luna then faded into oblivion, and Linka thought it was over. She looked back to where Lynn was with the dead Luna, but another obstacle was in place._

 _"Luna won't get to see me raise my baby," Lily softly said while holding baby Lincoln in her arms. "Or see him grow up."_

 _Linka looked away. "Stop..."_

 _"It's bad enough my son has been stripped away from meeting many of his aunt's, and not to mention his grandparents, and the person he's been named after!" Lily's eyes watered, but Linka kept her eyes off of her. "Now you've gone and put Lynn and Luna in danger! And look what happened! I can't stand another one of us dying! It hurts... It hurts so much... Why do you choose that over us? What does death have that we don't?!"_

 _And suddenly, there it was. There was the reason that validated all of Linka's ideals. He reasoning. Her willingness to hurt and kill. The path that she was walking alone._

 _And in that moment, the whole area went dark for the last time. Dark, save for a park bench that was underneath a bright light that Linka has to shield her eyes from. She had no choice but to walk to it. Another probable berating from Lupa, no doubt. Linka sighed and sat down. Sure enough, a figure did appeared besides her, but it wasn't Lupa._

 _"Hey, Linka," Lincoln greeted. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "This feels right."_

 _The black zone reverted into the park Linka recognized as the same one from Royal Woods. The one they both loved to go to. "Feels are not always good. You said you were leaving, but you're here. Why is that?"_

 _"I did say that, and it's half-true. I'm here, but I'm not here. Only you have the mind to figure it out for yourself. You know, I never did ask you what that nightmare was..."_

 _Linka looked down to the ground. The second she remembered what was what, had also included what she had dreamed of. It was true, he never asked, nor did she offer to explain what it was. "It was stupid, okay? A dumb dream that... That I see isn't one at all."_

 _"Oh?" Lincoln wrapped his arm around Linka and pulled her close to him. "Well, what's the harm in telling me? We can keep a secret, can't we?" He said it in such a friendly, suave manner, and nothing like the Lincoln that spawned out of hellfire._

 _"Why would I tell you?" Linka pulled away from him and stood up from the bench. She made several steps forward before stopping in a dramatic stance. She paused, clenching her fists tightly while still keeping her head down. "I know the truth..."_

 _She surmised correctly where she was, where she should've known she'd been in since the beginning. Her jaws tightened against each other, and she let out a small growl of anger. She then turned back to face him and finally screamed what she knew she had to say._

 _"YOU'RE NOT REAL! YOU'RE DEAD!"_

 _Lincoln's smile flipped upside down. "Linka... What was the dream?"_

 _Linka gasped at the question, not expecting him to go all bipolar on her. "Dream? You still wanna know?!" She then released the strain from her body and causally returned to the bench. It was rather odd that she had brought a calm to herself, if it didn't come from another source and into her system. "Alright, I'll tell you..."_

 _Lincoln didn't have the notion to face her this time. He looked straight ahead, looking over a scene of some of the Loud kids playing around the park. Lana and Lola were making sand castles in the sandbox; Lynn and Lincoln were in the see-saw, competing for the title of the heaviest; and lastly, Lucy was with Lily, playing corpse in the grass, but Lily was really playing with Lucy's bangs and giggling._

 _"It was you. I had a nightmare where... You were dead, and I'd never see you again," Linka painfully admitted. "Now I see... It's actual reality. Lynn, dad. Lynn took you away from me-"_

 _"Lynn killed me because she saw fit. You can't hurt Lynn for that, no matter how much you want to. I understand if you hate her for that reason alone."_

 _"I hate her... I hate them. I couldn't take living there, with them."_

 _"And why is that? Why are you exactly where you are now? Why do you still want me back?"_

 _Linka gulped._

 _"I know you know the answer, but you never gave it thought. We have the same memories, but you call me your father instead. I've always disregarded it, but I think you need to_ _face it."_

 _"I do know... It's because..." Linka teared up. She swallowed her fear and accepted things were as she had once believed them to be. "You've always been the only person to understand me! You were the one who I coud really trust! Now that you're gone..."_

 _Lincoln began to vanish again, only this time without any illusion of the false landscape, and so did the row of kids in the park. The park turned empty and lifeless, just like the hole in Linka's heart._

 _"...I feel alone in the world."_

 _The truth, no longer hidden away in the cage Linka kept away from the others. She could never tell anyone how she felt, for what would they say? The same thing she didn't want to hear, which would consist of "You're not alone," or "Awww," or maybe even some goddamn speech about opening up to gain essential human traits they didn't believe her to have possessed. How could she tell anyone she felt that way? How could she say she missed them, when she knew they did as well? How could she? How could she live like this for so long? Why was she know seeing that? After thirteen years of being without Lincoln, why now? Was she that good at penting it up, or eas it perhaps that each dispute with Luna would release the ill of her heart?_

 _The matter of the fact was that she knew why it was. She needed him, she wanted him, she missed him sorely. She needed him to feel complete. A rather selfish reason at that. But he wouldn't ever return to her again._

 _Another thing was that Linka had begun to feel guilty. For once in her life, she saw it. She had seen the consequences of her own actions. The scenarios made sense to her, and Luna's death was truly blood on Linka's hands. Maybe she deserved to be imprisonment._

She woke up, completely sweaty to the point the bus seat was soaked heavily with her fluids. She reeked terribly bad and tried to cool herself down. Her guess is that she had a stroke on the ride to the prison, which hadn't ended yet. "Fucking asshole, get yourself an air conditioner on this piece of shit!" She screamed to the driver, who had chosen to ignore her as his response.

All of this, it had been a ploy all along. The road to danger, to death, it served as a gate to see him again. Linka was never in there to get a large enough body count, but rather to paint a target on her back to get everyone to kill her, the secret death wish she wanted. And it was only now that she loooed at it that way. How could Lupa understand this? Lupa, not different from Linka, but was missing some components that could make them equal. Oh well, no need to think about it now.

Linka looked back out the window, ready for the next chapter in her life.

* * *

 **AN: I think this was much needed for me to tell another Linka tale that dwells deep within the roots of her being, one that shows the exploitation of her actions. Now it's known to her; Linka feels guilt and regret up to here. With that in mind, how can she possibly prevail against the evil Nnyl? Will Lupa be the heroine of this story? Will Lucky forgive Linka for hiding a critical fact involving his mother? Find out next time, on 2039!**


	22. Imprisonment, Part One

**July 18th, 2039**

They skipped over the paperwork, and, passing through many checkpoints and many corridors, the person's guards, a horde of over ten, escorted Linka to her cell.

By then, she studied the layout of the place; the prison wasn't exactly an advanced high tech like she was used to. It was a jungle gym of concrete and steel all over, in a rectangular design with a total of three levels of cell blocks and too many of those that she couldn't get the exact number. The only exits from the place was at one of the ends of the place, a small circular structure heavily fortified by six guards and two automated steel doors, floating up to be positioned at the second layer. On the other side was the one way ticket to freedom.

Linka's cell was at the end parallel to the entrance and exit, locked up in the second level. The system hadn't filed her as the extremely dangerous inmate, considering her cell wasn't an isolated one. Maybe this horrible penitentiary had none of those here. She finally felt free to be out of the chains, which made it a challenge for her to walk with as she dragged the clattering metal from her feet.

No bunk bed like she'd see in movies, but at least there was a toilet and a regular sized bed fit for one, all for her. It looked comfy, and Linka hit the hay. "Ouch!"

Okay, so maybe it _wasn't_ exactly a comforting bed.

"Hey, ya hear that? Ugly girl there did the Newcomers' Flat! Hahaha!" The cellmate on her left began knocking against the steel bars. "Wait til you taste the food here!"

Linka kicked on the left wall, embarrassed to be made fun of. "Oh, yeah, I'll bet you were also deceived by this layer of rock!"

"Oooh, lookie here, y'all! We've got ourselves a smartass up in this bitch!" The inmate began to howl away, which led to a wave of responding yells and screams from other cells. "Yeah! Yeah, you don't know who ya talking back to, bitch!"

Linka became infuriated. One clear pro she found was that she retained her super strength. Either they forgot or maybe it was a test that would see if Linka required a more secure location where her strength was nullified. Either way, she had a sense of freedom intact. "You're not wrong, I don't know who the fuck you are, and I hardly give a shit."

She'd make enemies this fast if she didn't play it safe. And she might've already dropped the ball on that. Fortunately, she was a pheno, and what where the odds there were any here?

"Why, you fucking slut!" The obnxoius neighbor cried out. "You'll pay at meal time!"

Linka sat down and remained silent now. The nightmare was still fresh in her mind. It was a bad dream, but it was realisitic in some aspects of it. She couldn't help but wonder what everyone was thinking and saying about them. About her, and Lupa. Lupa, the sister who abandoned her. Linka brooded heavily with the weight of all the unspoken burdens up to her. Alone again, quite the shitty feeling she so heavily disliked... But didn't fight..

It wasn't just the fact that they failed to prevent more death that did a number on Linka, but it was the fact that Nnyl, the secretly made clone of two more stronger phenos, was revealed to obtain an ever higher degree than her biological mothers were. There really was no way to fight and defeat something like that on her own. Linka could have an army of phenos and still be unsuccessful in prevailing.

She let Lupa down by wanting to complicate everything by fighting, and worse. That's why Lupa opted out to turn it into a solo mission. She'd only ensure she would get herself killed while trying to stop the malevolent clone from getting her hands on Lemy and all other phenos in danger.

Linka could be angry at no other than herself this time around. She lost more than she could imagine... How could the clone make it right, if it was possible?

An escape... A prison break was always an option. But everything would still be as hard as it had been when they fled from the Agency forces. They had no access to the special weaponry and tools they needed, and not to mention they were officially high profile criminal offenders up to this point. If they caught Lupa, would it be over? Would Lynn be placed into the battlefield to locate and contain her clone?

It shouldn't end up like that, and Linka would never allow it. Not when...

She stood up.

Not when her family was targeted by that wretch lookalike of the moronic Lynn Loud. Linka grabbed the bed, and flipped it to the wall. "Urgh!" She vented with no restaints by striking punches into the bed and repeated the cycle as many times as she could. Linka didn't notice that the wall had been gifted some light cracks from behind the mattress.

It didn't have to end with them dying. Not with her death, the dishonorable failure to protect the others, a selfless act that Lincoln would always, and wordlessly, try to achieve. She would find a say to defeat Nnyl, and make her suffer.

First, she'd have to break the hell out of here, but she couldn't simply incapacotare all the guards and stroll off. No, she needed to make it look like it was a joint operation in which many of the beefy prisoners were part of. Find the best one, check the daily guards' routines, inspect the structure, and exploit all possible flaws within. Linka knew exactly what and how to execute. But it didn't meant it would be an easy task.

"Hey, snowcone, the fuck is you doing in there? Keep it down!" The inmate next door was really getting on Linka's nerves. She'd definitely kill the fucker when it would go down.

"When's lunch?" Linka asked.

"What, ya think I got some watch or something? Dumbass hoe."

From above, another inmate, with a deeper voice, had a message for them. "Will you two just have sex already? Fucking bickering like it's fucking high school or some shit."

"Brono, this girl _looks_ like she's in high school!" The neighbor inmate yelled back.

Linka didn't know whether that was a compliment or insult. "Calling me young, are you? Do you think I'm pretty, too?" She asked in a sexy tone.

This time, no one answered her.

"Lunch already past, you got here like an hour after we had it," the up-top prisoner informed. "Hey... What's a girl like you in for? I've been here for six years and I've only seen about twenty women since I first got here, but never as young as you seem to be."

Linka approached the bars and looked up. "I'm around twenty-five or something. Hell, I don't bother keeping up with my own age."

"Twenty-five? Ain't that something?" The inmate above sounded a lot like Woody Harrelson. Maybe it was him. Goddamn that Zombieland movie. "So, what did you do? The MO most of us have is for real fucked up-"

Linka had no reason to lie, as long as she didn't blab out the whole truth. It seemed rather cheesy and unnecessary to tell a bunch of random prisoners of what she was trying to accomplish. "I guess you can say I was opposing the government and trying to kill this other person they wanted to capture. It happened alone just this week and I can still feel this scratch I got from a bear attack..."

She drew silence with that comment. What happened next irritated her until she relieved herself; a horde of laughter broke out across the prison. It seems everyone was closed-minded. "Looks like the new bitch is just as crazy as her white hair! Hahaha!"

Looks like this was gonna be harder than she thought.

 **Hours Later**

She was laying down when a dozen or so guards began to shift along the cells. "Alright, ladies, it's chow time! You know the drill!"

What a stupid protocol. The huge doors at the exit were automated, but the cells weren't? Risky dipshit business, no doubt about it.

"Huh?" Linka didn't notice a lunch room or anything as such before. _Where does the food come from? They can't just-_

Underneath the circular fort, Linka spotted two brightly colored rectangles. Windows. She also made out a person on each end. Bingo. They were a way out.

Linka was let out as the lines formed. The guard attending to get gave her a surprise shove. "No funny business!"

"As long as you don't get in my bad side-"

The pest cellmate next to her had been let free. He was a skinny, middle aged man with a circus show of tattoo works on his arms and face. "If it isn't the crazy bitch herself?"

Linka rolled her eyes and led herself towards the main floor. No need to make the anyone alert about her superhuman strength until the time was right. Meaning no fights anytime soon.

"Quit your blabbing and get down to the cafeteria," she heard the guard tell the tattooed prisoner.

"Whatev you say, li'l man."

The food looked revolting as she'd expect. All of it was basically a mush of green potato mash-like disgusting food, and looked real greasy the more she looked. The crap came served on a hard metal tray, and only given a plastic spoon. She suspected why this was so. "What is this shit?"

She poked at it, having no longer an appetite to eat this foul rubbish.

There weren't any tables or chairs around, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know why. Linka perched herself uncomfortably against the wall on the end, and was the only one who was the loner here. Most of the other inmates were huddled in groups, laughing and looking towards her direction. Among every separate bunch of them, not a single woman in sight.

By the looks of things, a whole lotta thirsty incarcerated criminals of all sorts had their eyes set on Linka. In her case, it was a con, but a pro if she was an expert at playing this game.

A gang of three African American men walked over to her with their hands full with their slop. "Not today..." Linka whispered, clenching the plastic utensil in her hand. Oh, like that could to any damage. The three cracked their knuckles, actually expecting or hell, even wanting a throw down.

Something dark then loomed over her, catching Linka off-guard. "What the-?"

"Move over," the well-built inmate standing over her ordered near menacingly.

"Why would-?" Linka rolled her eyes to the rest of the separate gangs of inmates, only to see them disperse and look away. As for the trio who were nearing her, they rerouted into a full 180. They all seemed to be afraid of this particular inmate. "You king here?"

He, in question, was a middle aged man at most, well around six feet tall. The interesting mark right below his short black hair was a circular shaped scar right on the right temple of his forehead. "A king is respected and praised. Here, all of these scum are cowardly near me. Can't blame them with my rep."

"It must be pretty long, huh?" Linka asked sarcastically.

"Long, but that's cause the details take up much of the rap sheet. I've noticed you're the new girl here." He sat down against the wall without asking.

"You can smell it a mile away, right? So, what brings you by, mister...?"

"Just call me Travis. First names mean nothing in here, not until you get out."

In that case, she would be... Loud. Linka groaned. "If first names mean nothing, then shouldn't it be the same for all names?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting perspective you've got."

"Names... Names mean nothing..." Linka, living a plastic life with the name she gave herself, in honor of being clone number one of Lisa's maniacal Project Link. She was really Link-A, a mere toy to be used in someone else's game. "Call me whatever you prefer to."

"Never seen a girl as young as you with white hair," Travis noticed closely. "I know how wigs look like on girls and this is totally not one, nor is this dye."

She was curious. "How can you tell?"

"Your eyebrows are white, too. That's what's always overlooked."

Linka lightly gasped. Not once. Not once in her life, or in past memories, had the two noticed the color of their eyebrows. So many times checking in the mirror for school, and...

Always the little things. Always the little things that go unnoticed.

"Oh... I hadn't ever... Noticed..." She touched her left eyebrow gently, and then proceeded to rub it. "Ha, I guess it's my own fault for never seeing it before. Thanks, I suppose."

"Quite interesting isn't it? So, why are you here for? What have you done to get locked up in this nothing of a prison?"

Linka kept playing with her food mindlessly, focused more on her current conversation with Travis. "It's a long story," she answered, changing her mind about talking before. "I guess you can say I got three people killed while I was trying to fight this psycho blonde chick."

"Oh, is that so? Did this blonde kill the three?" Travis asked curiously.

"Yeah... Ugh, I can't believe it happened. She got away, and I tried to run because I was basically the one who was looking for her to begin with. If it's anyone's fault, it'd have to be mines."

"I still need a little more to go on, but I think I understand the basis of it. You don't strike me as someone who could do bad, quite honestly."

Linka groaned and the sighed. "It's cause I'm a girl, isn't it? Hate to break it to you, but I wasn't raised on playing dolls and having tea parties. No, I had quite an unnatural and shitty life to begin with. I can't even remember what my parents look like..." The visuals of Rita and Lynn Sr. were distorted images she couldn't hold together. "They died in a fire, and its been over two decades since."

"Two decades? Hold on, how old are you?"

The math behind her age, still a nuisance. "Twenty-four."

"So, you had to have been that young way back then," Travis counted.

"You have no idea," Linka let out. "All kids of fucked up in my life."

"Well, either way... I still abide by my statement. You don't look all that bad to me, and not because of your gender. I've seen real monstrous women here and there in my life, and you aren't one such being."

She stopped toying around with her revolting green mashed potato. "Oh? And how do you know? How do you I've never gone and killed someone? Or did shit just as bad before?"

"It's the look in your eyes, they're not a killer's eyes. But I see something else when I first looked at you."

"Now you just sound cheesy, Mr. Psychic," Linka laughed. "A killer's eyes... You're wrong there, I've taken lives before."

He didn't budge at that. "Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy your first time?"

Linka opened her mouth to answer, but nothing had come out. She hesitated to say.

 _She unloaded the handgun's bullets right into Liberty Loud's legs. Linka had no desire to let her off easily, right after it was made clear she wanted to take Linka away from them. From him. But that was where a line would be crossed, and so it was. "Newsflash..."_

 _She broke the genderbent's face, just as she heard footsteps approach from behind. "Life isn't fair."_

 _The clone murdered her that cold, steady night. Alone in the woods, near her custom base. First kill._

"I... I don't think so," she opened up. "The first time I did so, I was being kidnapped, but I managed to kill my captor. This was when I was eleven."

"What? Well, I'll be damned, that's real hardcore shit, I'll give you that."

"Hardcore? That wouldn't even be the half of describing my life." Maybe she was being humble, or just saying it to one-up whatever his story was. "But yeah, I didn't enjoy doing it, but I had no choice. She was bad, and I was scared. I was pushed to do it, but after that..."

"You are able to do it easily, right? You're gonna babble about being less human, and all that. I know how the dark biographies go, and to tell you the truth, I don't think you're as bad as you think you are. What I was saying about your eyes, is that I see a scared little girl who's trying to escape the hellish reality she's a part of, in any way she can."

"Hmmm..." Then, she laughed. "What's a psychologist doing in a dump like this?"

"I've come to evaluate everyone here," he joked. "It's quite pleasing."

In a way, he might've been right. Linka had just come across the sentiment of guilt and the downward sinking from her defeat from the first battle against Nnyl had done it's job to discourage the clone from believing she, Lupa, and any other pheno or force could match the fiend's tremendous abilities. Saving the family, and every other pheno from the demon speedster, especially with the amount of obstacles and challenges between Linka and her... The odds...

How many more lives would Linka ensure to die by her side? Luna. Leia. Tabby. Their blood stained her hands. She didn't plan accordingly, ergo death. She should have trusted the others as allies, and not as her own blood.

Lupa was the one she worried about. The other clone ended up in the same boat as her, with no connection or advantage to use in the hunt for Nnyl. Even less so when she decided to let Linka go. Why, Linka hated her for that, but couldn't do so enough to blame her anymore. She understood, but had so too late.

She was lost on what do really do at this moment. Maybe if she stayed here, she'd only get out to be killed by Nnyl. Unless the speedster uncovered Linka's whereabouts and offed her before she was out of this place.

"Man... I did screw up massively and left a mess. This blonde, logically one of my sisters..." She couldn't believe she said that about Nnyl, but it was either that or calling her the clone. "...Is going after the rest of our family."

"Oh, family matters, eh? No love lost there, I see. Go on."

"One of the three that fell victim to her was one of her parents, and my aunt," Linka continued. "It's kinda funny considering no one knew she existed until recently. I don't need this shit, honestly." She then looked back to Travis.

The man didn't at all find it remotely odd or startling when hearing this. "Didn't you say you got them killed? What's the story behind that?"

"Ugh..." Linka gripped the utensil tightly in her right hand. "I put them into a position where she was easily able to get ahold of them, and it was the first time we met her, too."

It only confused him. "Sounds like she got the drop on you, and by that logic, you didn't get them killed. Or... Am I missing something?"

She wasn't letting him in for clear reasons. But, the man acted rather calm, and with the additional psychobabble knowledge he presented, maybe he wasn't so close-minded. "D-do you know what a pheno is?" Chances being that he did were half and half.

"Oh, yeah, I know very well what they are."

"Well-" Linka began to confess.

"You're not very subtle. So, what are you powers? And what's a pheno doing here in a gen-pop facility?"

"You know, it's likely a fuck-up that I'm here. Also... I'm not just a pheno."

Travis whistled. "Are you an alien, too?"

"No, I'm- Wait, too? What do you mean?" Maybe her chain was being severely yanked.

"No, sorry," the strong inmate chuckled. "Continue."

"God, I never had to the privilege of story-telling, and going on... It feels like something out of a sci-fi comic."

"Yeah, I'll bet. I could not have imagined you being a pheno at all. It must've been hard to live, especially with the anti-pheno laws out there."

"Well... I was being hunted before this, and only right after that incident I mentioned before. If you're wondering, most of my family are also phenos, but we don't have the same powers. I inherited mines from someone else."

"Your parents? Were they also phenos?" He asked.

"No, they weren't. I'm a clone of someone else. Indentical in generic terms, only one difference. I was bred as a female, when I should have been a guy."

She expected him to gag out of some sort of immaturity. He didn't gag. "Oh, nice. A clone. I believe it."

She raised an eyebrow. "You can at least to act like all of this would shock you, or you could even laugh at how skeptical and unrealistic this seems."

"I have to admit, when you mentioned the story about the government and going up against a bear, I was a little skeptical. But this, and that, you didn't have a reason to lie about it, so it's all true."

"No, I don't. And neither do you. But it doesn't explain why you are actually too calm than it should be. Why's that? What have you seen before?"

He smiled, closed his eyes, and raised his shoulders. "I'll humor you. You could say I've fought many phenos before, and seen more than enough things that could fry any normal person's brain while trying to comprehend."

"Are you fucking with me? I can't tell if-"

Travis then rose up and turned around to punch the concrete wall. Linka found reason to avoid looking this time, not wishing to see him break much of his hand. She heard a sound, but not of bones being fractured graphically.

He left a crater bigger than his fist, right on the impact point of the wall. "I am a pheno."

She turned around, amazed but curious with many overwhelming questions. "...Okay, I think I'm hallucinating from taking in the odor of this crap." She left her tray on the floor and began walking away. "...B...B-bye..."

But that was before she realized it. How could she be that fucking oblivious? Travis' height. The scar on his forehead. His super strength, similar to not only hers, but...-

She turned around and eyed him again in a completely different perspective. "You..." She approached him until she was looking right up at him. "I have one more question I really need you to answer me."

"Alright, shoot," Travis agreed.

"Are you..." If she bet right, she would have answers. Answers that could mean victory for her. "Are you from another universe?!"

* * *

 **AN: Alright, so maybe I might be going a little overboard with the sci-fi aspect, but I did say once before that this sequel is more based on this, while retaining the butt-kicking bloody action it has.**


	23. Imprisonment, Part Two

**July 18th, 2039**

"Another-" He laughed at first, rendering Linka to regret asking such a dumb question. Then, he just smiled. "Who, just who the fuck are you? How do you know such a thing?"

Her eyes flared up to his response. "S-so... It's true..."

"I am very surprised and intrigued on how you were able to deduce such a thing. So, how did you know I don't belong here?"

Linka pointed to his scar, and then the hole. "The person I was cloned from had the s-same...-" Now she had to properly confirm it. "How many?"

"How many what?" Travis asked.

"H-how many Freights... D-did you kill?" She had hoped to spook him before, but the time was now, when he suddenly changed his lively expression into a deadly and serious one, responding further by crossing his arms. This

"So... There's an alternate version of me here, huh?" He studied Linka again. "Your name, your full name, what is it?"

"L-Linka Loud..." Maybe it was vice versa, as well. God, and she couldn't even still get her head around Liberty's origin, wherever that was. "Another... Earth..." She was avoiding the big question, however. The one that didn't matter now.

"Nope, no one I know with that name," he informed. "Who am I in this world?"

"He's dead..." Linka answered. "Has been dead for years, and his name was Lincoln."

"Lincoln?" His eyes went downwards, as if trying to process something. "That just so happens to be my middle name."

"...This is really too much for me. You are actually him, but...-" Linka had a strange sensation to suddenly hug the Not-Lincoln, which would be awkward and yet, not so much. She felt very uncomfortable. "Oh, dear God."

At least now she knew why he was more open-minded as she explained about herself. There might not have been a chance at one-upping him after all.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Linka. If it's any consolation-" He wanted to tell her he was resurrected, but what exactly happened to this Lincoln character? Linka was just as soft and humane as he felt she would be. No, that he _knew_ she'd be. "You know what, feel free to ask me anything you wish to."

Linka could use this as a chance to learn more about what she could involving Nnyl, or speedsters in general at the very least. But she wanted more than that, such things that could hurt. Such things that maybe Lincoln felt about her but could never tell Linka. Through this one. Through Travis.

"Speedsters... Tell me all about them," she demanded.

"Uhhh... I know most of them, but not all. Is there specific ones that you have in mind? Maybe we know the same ones differently."

She decided to begin with all speedsters from this end. "A pair of twins, blonde. Know them?"

"Oh, yeah, I do," he answered.

Great, Lana and Lola had counterparts.

"They're basically bank robbers. Why, who are they here?"

"I ask the questions here."

Travis mumbled. "Well, fine..."

"Next..." Now Lynn. "What about one in red?"

"We don't have the Flash."

She slapped his shoulder for goofing off. "It's a girl. She wears a helmet, which is actually a defunct robot head."

"Would it help you if I just tell you who is there? We keep going back and forth and lunch is like almost over." He wasn't wrong

"Tch. Fine." Linka took a look around. No one was looking their way like before. A perfect, peaceful sight to enjoy while it lasted.

"Apart from the two you mentioned, there is one who is part of a hero unit, with a silver suit on him. Another one who bears a blue suit, and a helmet as well. Not sure what the helmet is made up of, though. And the recent one who popped up was a fusion hybrid of speedster and reptilian being."

Bingo, that sounded like Nnyl. "That one. Tell me about her." She didn't know the gender, but telling him that only confirmed that Nnyl existed her as she was.

"It's a man known as Razortooth on my end, comes from the future."

Boom! "I need to know his or her weaknesses," Linka requested.

"What? Razortooth is a villain here?"

"Uh..." She was losing hope once more. "You do know what they are... Don't you?"

He stood silent again, meaning no.

"You don't know..." She pieced together. "Damn it..."

The time called for them to be returned back to her cell. "Hey, this isn't over. I still have questions. I still have questions!" She screamed at him, amidst the murmuring crowds of inmates all being escorted back to their cells by many guards wielding batons.

 **Later**

Linka had to make due with the bed she was in, with a fresh reason to be lying down; it was what she had just discovered here that made her real eager to see and talk to Travis again. What were tje odds? What where the fucking odds that an alternate version of Lincoln would magically end up in the same prison she was sent to?

Maybe it was the work of real fate.

It wasn't just that, though. It was where he was from that she believed could have answers for more questions she could think of. Based on the first interview, she pieced that no Louds existed on that alternate universe, but rather it was that random people have been gifted the lives the Louds lived. A man with Lincoln's past. A pair of twins who had Lana and Lola's lives. And then, as it turned out, another version of Nnyl, and a hero, it seemed. Bullshit.

What else was there? What was the current year he lived in before somehow, and magically coming here? Then- How did he end up here? How the hell? ...Did it even matter?

Maybe it was real fate, giving Linka a sign right in her face.

All she could do was wait again.

 **July 19th, 2039 - Lunch Hour**

The same slop was likely to be served, and Linka had no appetite to eat the shit, but her stomach was really growling today, so she had no other choice. "Disgusting..."

She was eating the garbage back in the spot she claimed, and tried her best not to gag with each spoonful of the sewage. First this, and then there would be the issue with showering- The amount of dicks all around, ready to try and ram themselves into her body. I mean, Linka getting buttfugged would be hot, but that won't happen here.

She had more catching up to do. "Hey, you!"

Travis came by again, and sat himself down to eat alongside her. "Food isn't as bad as it smells and looks once eating it."

She still found it revolting. "Ew, no. I wish I had sauerkraut sandwiches instead."

"Sauerkraut... Never tried before in my life. But I'm fine with this junk. Better than nothing, am I right?"

"I was really hungry last night," Linka admitted. "So I guess I'd better eat it all to make up for it."

Right, the reason she called for him. "We didn't finish where we left off yesterday. You still have so much to tell me." She didn't know she sounded like a teenage girl, ready to hear the gossip.

"Now you sound you like a real girl," he laughed.

"Shut it!" She yelled back at him. "Anyways, about what you said yesterday, you said this Razortooth character was from the future on your world? So, do you mean that speedsters have that ability or-?"

"Ah, no. They are not fast enough to be able to do that by themselves."

And what a relief it was for her to find out.

"So, they rely on technology, huh?" If it ever was that Nnyl decided to do such a thing, she would have to find the means and resource to achieve time travel. The Agency was where the information and tools had been stored for it, assuming they haven't succeeded yet. "Time travel, it exists over there, doesn't it?"

"In our current time, yes. It was invented over ten years ago...- That's over thirteen years ago here, mind you."

"God... It would be so much easier to have access to time travel without any fucking consequence."

"Ah, the taboo exists here as well. I guess it's safe to assume what goes on here, present or past, has an equivalent counterpart there," he gathered.

"Alright, so there's no weakness to this Razortooth person, but how about for the other quicksters? You said the twin speedsters are bank robbers, right? That means they're wanted. Any chance of a counterstrike against them?"

"Dampeners that neutralize any pheno's powers exists. Get a hold of those and lead your little problem into a trap," he suggested. The only problem with that was Nnyl knew those existed. She would have had a way out or something. There was still more Linka had yet to learn about her. Suppose Nnyl was trapped within dampener range; was she skilled in combat as well?

Linka really didn't need further complications. If any essential equipment had been on Grimmtown... "Shit. I'm on my fucking own... Going down to fetch supplies and all of that, it's suicide. Even more so, she... Nnyl, that's the name of the speedster, by the way- She proved to be superior against me and a few other phenos, including another speedster. We can't-"

He slapped her for no reason, and quite hard too. "Are you a moron?"

"Uncalled for-!"

Travis pressed a hand to his forehead. "You really are dense, aren't you? Being here has given me too much time to think, and I see the reason why you're really here. The question remains; do _you_ know why you're here?"

"I was captured, right after rendezvousing at a place called Grimmtown, where we had access to an armory."

"Ah, yes, the safe haven down in Mexico."

It hit Linka like a horribly told joke that could have spewed out from Luan's lips. "It-It's in Mexico for you? Well, goddamn it." Life was ever so cruel to her.

"And yeah, that may be so, but are you not wondering why you're here? As in, the only one standing out of this place?"

"I told you, I think it's a fuck-up on their part. Also, you're also a pheno, so I'm not the only one off here."

"My body can cover for me with the lie that I'm just that strong. As far as anyone thinks they know, I'm simply a steroid addict. Now... Do you think they messed up to begin with?"

"I told you yes, and I could simply escape here if I-" She froze and let the actual truth of her situation sink in. Now she knew, for sure she knew that the director and the Agency had to make it unofficial and completely dark. "Th-they're off books..."

"There you go. They put you here under the reason that you are a liability to them, when all they really and secretly need is the help they can get to fight whoever it is giving everyone trouble. You're here just to escape and be on your journey, but they had to to through all this trouble to make it authentic and show the pleasing news to whomever these officials report to."

"Fucking Christ..." Linka had the urge to kick herself as hard as she could. All this time thinking solely about just the mission, and literally every other agenda she needed to sense, as well as hearing out those whom she herself locked away from, had all been behind a fog to her. "I feel so selfish and dumb now."

"It's time for a resolve. Now that you have a way out of here, will you take it? Or will you allow your loved ones to die? For all you know, you are the difference between life and death for them."

"I... I don't know if I can beat that kind of foe. I never had to gain an enemy of such power. Truth be told..." It started with her and Lupa only having a series of hunches on Nnyl, back when they knew so little, when they assumed it was Lana. "She's more than... I thought I can handle."

"That does not mean she is some untouchable godly being you can't get close to. I want you to swallow your own doubts you've collected over the past few days, and don't think about making amends to anyone you owe it to just yet. Defeat her. Defeat your villain, and be done with this life."

"Done with...-" She looked up at him, pushing her now empty tray from her lap. "This life..."

"The hatred in your eyes, you can let go of that. I know you can, but you have to face whatever demons you have and rekindle with those you pushed away. That's all, that's all I have for you. What would Lincoln do?"

She took it to heart. She knew what he'd do; Lincoln was the one person who, without limits or rules, would do whatever it took to defeat the enemies down the line. He had fallen a times before, but not once because he faced a tougher foe to defeat. It was all for reasonable trials he faced. Lily being shot, the deaths of Linka and Lucy in a forgotten time, and the biggest one that truly broke him, and the one no one ever wanted to remember, was how the house fire had come to be. Those. Those were reasons to fall.

What Linka had was she wanted nothing from the others, as they could offer her nothing but relaxation and the guide to a normal life. A normal she had to make due without...

"I know what he'd do. He'd complete this mission, and do it so that you, or the rest of his family, won't be harmed, and he'll do it over again as many times as it takes. And you wanna know what he secretly wants of you? You, who I'm sure he has protected time and time again?"

"Just say it, big man," she impatiently spat out.

"He wouldn't want you to fall to the same spot where burdens have to be carried," Travis finished. "He wants you to have a good life, where you aren't out eager to start pointless violence that can be so easily avoided. You don't have to decide who to hurt in response to your pain of having lost him. Stay calm, let yourself be happy. Live a life, and grow old with your family. If you don't let go, it's going to end up being the death of you eventually, do you understand me?"

He was right, and in all the right aspects. She had forgotten what it was that Lincoln had most likely wanted for her, only taking on what he did and cared for on the outside. All that Linka did, she did incorrectly, and it was in the way that he had also, but he had been in the wrong with how he kept to himself and tried to do everything his own way. Where did that get him? And where would _she_ end up if she didn't see sense?

"D-damn it..." She didn't trust them, and had only senseless reasons to fight them, merely for breaking the rules Luna and company were so keen on making her follow. "Fuck."

Did she simply hate them because they wanted to be unaffiliated with conflict? It made her head spin a little.

"That makes me feel like you've been quite the feisty thorn on someone's side. Am I wrong?"

She argued and fought with Luna mostly, and it was believed by her that was due to intersecting ideas about how things needed to be run. Luna maintained her morale, but was not a pushover at all. Maybe Linka solely needed something to hate...? Or maybe it was how she perceived it as Luna being down on her guard?

"I'm so petty," she moaned. "I don't know what it is I really want, but I know I miss him... I feel al-" She stopped.

Travis gave her a pat upside her head. "You seek a replacement to fill in those shoes, it's come to that."

She shook her head. "N-no, there is no replacing him."

"I mean... You are trying to fill in that hole, nothing more. The spot belonged to him, but you wanna fight everyone and get appeasing results that look like you can have a mutual friend who relates to you, someone who reminds you of him. Maybe they already exist, but you just don't know it yet."

Immediately, Linka pictured Lupa in mind. Lupa, half Lincoln. Lupa, who was almost about that life, but a little less in it than Linka. She wasn't the full version of the man, but it was all Linka had to make due with her. That's, _if_ Lupa was bound to come back.

Even her. Even that clone tried to preach righteously to Linka, but to no avail. "I'm so...-" She didn't need to say it, for it was clear as daylight.

"You're okay there, as long as you will make it up to them, one apology and amend at a time. They'll forgive, and you will forget. Now..." He pointed to the exit. "You have a mission. Go on, make it rain some chaos." And Linka suddenly had it again. The immeasurable willpower and a clear reason to continue yhe fight against Nnyl. If all was what it sounded like from the wake-up words from Travis, it mean Linka had nothing to worry about after all. Nothing, after all...

"There's... I'd really like to know more, but I don't need to, don't I? I can figure out my own destiny from here on out." She hadn't even been here a week. "I can't say I'm surprised, although I really should be. I guess a riot is in order. So... What of you? Will you run off on your own? I can make us an exit."

He thought about it. Then, "Fuck it, I've been here long enough. I might as well catch up on what's going on around."

"You could've done this before-"

"I had no reason to before, until you came along." He placed a hand on her shoulder and humbly smiled at her. "So I thank you for something."

"Well, thanks for everything you shared, and the advice..." Linka brought herself to smile again. "Oh, yes, I needed that so much."

Travis slid his tray to her. "Start with these."

Linka took it, and armed herself with both trays, slowly making her way to the nearest group of inmates. "I might just need them after all..."

* * *

 **AN: It's been a long time coming for some further Linka development, and some sort of redemption for herself. Or, the beginning for a complete one. This is a new Linka from this point forward, and one who will no longer be defined by her inner demons or the infinite rage that lives deep within. In a way, this is a form of closure she sorely needed, but there shall be more down the road.**

 **I hope this was good.**


	24. Imprisonment, Conclusion

**July 19th, 2039**

Two days. Two fucking days had Linka been here. She could've been here forever, forever meaning as long as she could last until Nnyl found and killed her. But it went in a different direction. A better one that made itself a meaningful one to her. The reason to keep going, and the motivation to fight had returned. No longer was she the doubtful, questioning albino girl with the inability to defeat someone with even greater power than her.

She just had to out-think the unstoppable somehow. But not alone, oh no. Not alone. And for one thing, she _understood_ she wasn't alone.

And she smiled with great determination as the pair of trays did their unintended job of helping her kill a random inmate by crushing in the skull. It was quite a head splat of a mess that stained the trays heavily, and caught on her orange jumpsuit. "Hi, boys! Hope you don't mind if I cut it."

"Whoa, the fuck?!" The dead inmate's two buddies moved over Linka on each side. "Gonna pay for-"

Linka wasn't an amateur with using unconventional weapons, and that was thanks to some old Freight survival skills that Lori played a part of. Damn that Lori. Linka let go of one tray and used her remaining one as her shield from the punches, and then reverted it back to the melee weapon. She shoved the metal board right into one of the two prisoners' face, and redirected to shove it right into the others chest sideways.

Travis whistled in amazement just as the alarm rang out. "Holy shit, you're just like my daughter."

 _"Code Black, we have a Code Black! I repeat, we have a Code Black! All prisoners are to be returned to their cells! This is not a drill! I repeat-"_

"GET THE BITCH!" The witnesses near Linka decided it best to attack like a collective. Seven buff inmates circled around Linka.

"You stupid bitch, you got a death wish or something?" All Linka heard was just macho shit that made no sense to her. "We kill you for our buddies here."

Linka bent down to the guy who received the tray to his face. "Oh, you mean like this guy?" She grabbed the man's jaw and tore it right off his face. It made a hellish ripping noise that sounded gruesome just as it looked. She waved it around at the surrounding inmates like a knife. Some of them actually threw up at the sight of this hardcore shit. "Don't leave little old me waiting," she winked.

The guards entered the scene, coming in with either shotguns or riot shields, in a tactical maneuver. "On your knees! On your knees, now!" They lined up like a wall, with the riot shields being the first line, and those with the shotguns aiming high over them.

Linka kept her cool, and threw the dismembered jaw at the inmates facing away from the guards. They actually squirmed away to avoid it, as if it were a live grenade. That gave her an opening she needed among the ensuing confusion. The inmates were stunned, but set in mob mode.

Linka made her move, which used up another inmate as a better shield. "Hey-!"

She ran straight past the frozen inmates, watching both Linka while now beginning to comply with the guards. "STAMPEDE!" Her plan was to simply knock some off balance and fight using her human shield. And that she ended up doing, taking down two right on their asses. The poor fool she had probably died on instant, not that she cared.

"Hold it! Hold it right-!" Linka grabbed a riot shield and began to twirl it around like nothing, attacking and fending off the other guards who were now unloading their slugs at her. If ever there needed a real riot, now was the time, as most guards were fixated on her.

The rest of the inmates saw their window and went for it. "Get they shotguns! Get it all, my niggas!"

Linka was not to be playing around anymore. She flipped and dropped as many guards as she could before the third party butted in, and let go of the riot shield after no more slugs were being fired at her. The rest of the riot shield guards were too late to turn around and contain the situation.

The fight started in between both factions, and Linka had then armed herself with a shotgun, loaded for bear. The way out had to be filled with less opposition from the other side. If she walked right out, there would be maybe five or six men armed to the teeth. She was not about to catch a hail of bullets willingly. "Damn..."

Behind her, the few several guards had been overwhelmed by the countless inmates. "Back-up! We need back-up here-!" One had gotten on his walkie-talkie before being tackled by three of the thugs.

"Shit," she murmured, clenching her weapon firmly. Travis, no longer a spectator, circled around the ruckus and regrouped with the albino.

"What's going on? Your mission awaits on the other side, does it not?"

Linka gave him a nod. "I lack prison break experience, don't know what awaits me on the other side."

"That's true. Well, I can help with that-"

But they didn't need to. It was quite some perfect timing to mark Lupa's entrance back into Linka's life. The automated gate had opened up to reveal her, smiling casually at Linka. "Hey, moron."

"Ahh, Lupa! Wha- How did-?!" She raised a finger and twirled it around.

"It's a long story," she explained, crossing her arms. "Sorry for bailing on you like that, you left me no choice in the matter."

Linka inhaled, totally relaxed. "Ahh, well.. I'm sorry, too." She opened her arms to welcome Lupa back by hug.

"Alright, what the hell?" Lupa accepted it, only for the hug to actually be a front for one of Linka's punches. "Ow! Okay, I totally deserved that! So, how's the wound?"

"Oh..." Linka had forgotten about that, due to the lack of pain she sensed she was missing. She tore off the part of the jumpsuit that covered it. "Huh?"

There turned out to be nothing but clean smooth skin. "Looks like it's healed," Lupa stated for her. "Hey, what's going on over there?"

"Never mind that, did you take out whoever was behind you? Got them all?" Linka peered behind Lupa, already anxious to leave. "Thanks a lot, now we should get going."

"Whoa, hold on. What about them?" Lupa jerked her head towards the inmate revolution. "It's gonna be a mess if they escape."

All the guards had been surrounded in a circle, back to back, held hostage by the jailed residents. They had their own weapons turned against them, vulnerable. Some had already been killed, including those Linka had beaten down. "Not my problem."

"I wouldn't ignore this, girl," Travis thought.

"And who might you be?" Lupa asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'll fill you in later," Linka promised. "But really, there's not time to waste-"

"Linka..." Lupa pleaded.

"What would Lincoln do?" Travis laid on her again.

She was challenged, almost enough to sweat. Then, she sighed. "You miserable... Okay."

She returned to the mess, now aiming the shotgun at targets. "Hey, oranges!"

"Whuzza-" Basically, the entire crowd of prisoners, uo to forty, maybe more, gathered around their new victims and begun to holler out in joy. At least, it stopped when Linka dropped one with a headshot. It stopped their shared activity, redirecting their focus right on Linka. "It's the crazy bitch!"

Those who had themselves a shotgun switched from the guards to Linka. The upside, Linka was a good shot. The downside, Linka was not fast to hit over five targets all at once with her weapon.

Fortunately, Lupa was there to lift all the weapons into the air, excluding Linka's. "There! I didn't come all this way just to see you die!"

Linka was grateful for Lupa's dumb old power. Preferably, she still secretly wished she had it as well. Too bad for her. Linka returned to her little chore, firing off all the rounds in the shotgun. In total, seven had gone down by the time there was only the clicking sound of the boomstick.

Half of the remaining were not mesmerized by the floating guns in the air charged all at once at Linka, stomping over the corpses of their fallen cellmates. An impending bloodbath of all sorts.

"Let's fucking go!" Linka hurled her battle cry, with fists clenched right on her sides.

It ended in quite the bloodbath Lupa expected. Seventeen of them dead, with seven having it mercifully, and the rest to fight Linka ended up with ripped out limbs, and disembowled manually in the most gruesome ways not known to man. Guts, intestines and pools of blood decorated the dark ground, and the mess of corpses made it an official asylum where urban legends would be born from in due time.

Much of Linka's jumpsuit upgraded to the red color, as did her hands. She wiped the blood away on the back of her prison uniform, and held a thumbs up to the immobile guards. "Get up and finish your job! You've still got some gentlemen complying on your hands."

Lupa had turned the shotguns on the remaining inmates on them until order was restored. Linka and company took off as the guards were busy making various calls and undergoing all necessary protocols. She had subdued the guards from the other end, but non-fatally. "I didn't expect to be your little rescue unit, but you don't have to thank me for this."

"Then I won't," Linka agreed to. "Just answer me this, what changed your mind?"

Lupa simply raised her shoulders. "I had an epiphany, don't know what else to tell you. If any two people can defeat a speedster hellbent on destroying an entire community, it would be... Luna and Lynn! But they're down so we're the backup."

"Hmmm. Lynn..." Linka couldn't help but wonder if she could be bait to a trap. A trap that would make it easy to catch Nnyl. "We're not relying on our powers, and we can't from here on out. We need to think outside the box here."

"While you two plan and execute, I think I'd best be going my own way." Travis tapped on Linka's head before leaving. "Thanks for your help, take care now."

"Wait!" Linka pulled him back. "Will I see him again?"

Travis turned and looked her dead in the eye. Unlike before, he had given off quite a serious face thus time. He meant what he was going to say, in the most sincere way he could tell her. With a grin of his face, he answered, "You will. I know you will."

It did enough for Linka to let go and return her own rare smile back at him. "Th-thank you..."

Lupa just scratched around her cowlick, confused at the scene. "Whuh?"

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Linka. Take good care of yourself." And with that, the man had gone his own way, wherever it was.

"Okay, what? You made a new friend or something?" Lupa poked at Linka. "A friend from... Heh, prison."

Linka coughed. "So, maybe he was, who's judging?"

Lupa lightly punched on Linka's shoulder. "No one. So, how've you been?"

"For fuck's sake, it's only been two days, not like a year."

Lupa went in sassy mode, leaning forward. "Anything could have happened in between, you know. I'm hoping you didn't drop the soap."

Linka squinted her eyes. "Thanks for the sympathy. So, where are we going?"

 **Later - Warehouse Base of Vick Ventura**

Lupa came in through the roof, where there had already been an improvised entrance/exit in the form of a wide enough hole. Linka clinged onto her like a cat to a leg. "I'm not gonna ever get used this."

"What? You scared of heights?" Lupa giggled.

"No, I hate that I have to rely on you like a cheat code. It still sucks I don't get what you've got, so fuck you."

Lupa dropped Linka without hesitation, and right on her ass did she fall. "Yeah? You mentioned it before, but you don't hold back when it comes to speaking your mind."

"Ow! Damn you!" She rubbed her behind and stood back up on her feet, taking a glance around the lit up warehouse. "So, what's this place supposed to be?"

"Hey, Linka. Nice to see you're out and about again," came the unexpected third voice among them. Lucky was laid down on a corner, and with him, two black duffel bags on either side of him. "I can't forgive you for what you hid, but from what I've been told from everyone, it's bigger than your secrets."

Linka nodded, still ashamed of herself for not feeding him the fact that he had once met his mother, and the sweet memories were stripped away forever. She wasn't expecting to see the teenager right in... A place like this.

The redhead was zipped up in another one of his sweaters, this time a dark brown one. The hood was on him, with hands tucked into the sweater's pockets. He almost looked like a junkie that way. He sounded like he had matured in a short amount of time. Either that, or someone had given him a spoonful of "what is and what should be later."

"And it's true, so you can save your grievances with me for later. Wait, didn't they erase your memories? The director said he would."

"They were going to, but they said a secondary rearranging was unpredictably dangerous, so I'm free to keep what I know."

"Convenient for us. So, again, what are we doing here?"

"Alright, so," Lucky dragged the duffel bag to his left closer, unzipping it. "So I did some little digging up around the Agency databases with a keycard I swiped off of one of the guys there. I hit the jackpot when, with it, I had access to everything. And I mean, _everything."_

Lucky pulled out a small packet of sheets from inside the carry-on. Linka, curious and interested in what it was he had made his own copies of, drew near and picked them up. "What do you mean-?"

Linka flipped through the stacked pile, going through them fairly quick. She gasped at what Lucky had presented. They were files of each member of the Loud family, both the living and dead ones, excluding Leni; beneath, were the separate files on each project that ranged from those carried out by Vial Corp/Black Network. That list was a long one, and it took up most of the sheets. The final ones belonged to the Agency funded projects. "H-hey, holy shit."

The last project marked there was all about Link-X, under the name **Project Link MK-II**

Linka was doing her research;

 **Link-X; Artificial human being created from the genetic make-up of Lynn Loud and Luna Loud, in** **early 2034.**

 **Expectations; Link-X to exhibit both pheno abilities from cellular parents. Subject has undergone many modifications prior to perfection. Trials of dopamine being decreased by force have proven unsuccessful for Link-X-**

"What? Dopamine being decreased... Lupa, they tried to sever her humanity!"

Lupa scoffed, and Lucky just twisted his head back and forth. "What is dopamine again?"

"They wanted to make a zombie out of Nnyl," Lupa answerer angrily. "Those scumbags. That's not right."

 **-Primary cellular parent (Lynn Loud) obtains childlike traits, a problematic consequence for Link-X-**

"Haha, they're probably calling Lynn a baby," Linka couldn't help but joke.

"Linka, get serious! Keep reading!"

 **Day 1 of Outer Exploration; Subject has experienced complete confusion and shock upon meeting primary cellular parent, yet to understand the origin of her nature.**

 **Day 2 of Outer Exploration; Subject discovers ability pass from primary cellular parent one.**

Linka skimmed ahead the days of progression, gaining no advantage in.

 **Day 19 of Outer Exploration; Subject experiences full positive emotions around primary cellular parent, is adamant to go out into the field. Subject is flawed. No apparent traits of secondary cellular parent as of yet.**

"Oh..." Linka's hands began to shake. "Oh, my God."

"I know, Linka. I sensed it too, when reading it. Look down to the bottom."

Linka did so;

 **Link-X has a fully developed personality after primary cellular parent. Calling for immediate action through psychological deception, a critical move to perfect the pheno clone.**

"Psycho... Logical... Deception..." The words burned into Linka's mind. "I-it can't be..."

"Oh, but it is," Lupa confirmed. "They tried to mold Nnyl to be the perfect weapon they expected her to be, and the only way to do that was to tear down the very humanity she had, and all else she had that was of Lynn and Luna."

Linka crumpled up the sheet, unable to keep reading further. "Th-they turned her into the monster she is now!" She turned and threw it to the ground. "It's... It's because of them, those damn hacks are more responsible than just her creation!"

"They laid their own seeds in secrecy, but in doing so..." Lupa began.

"They fucked up and made her go berserk. But... If this was pre-destined-"

"Then this is cleaning house and they actually set all this up to wipe out all phenos from the face of the earth. Think about it, the amount of resources that were probably wasted in just merely trying to capture and contain all they could snatch while still knowing there have always been more out there. Especially when they knew ending them was easier than this. Not only that-"

"But they haven't killed those ones, meaning they're going to be part or something."

"Lucky?" Lupa signaled for him to pull out another revealing card. Lucky had a hidden sheet of paper tucked in his sweater. "There's more."

"It concerns the facility where they're transporting all the kids," Lucky filled in. He opened up the sheet to reveal a blueprint of the facility.

"A blueprint is not gonna-" There was a label over the top;

 **Pheno Training Base, Royal Woods, Michigan**

"Royal Woods? The base is in-?!"

"Out of all places, why there? Why in Royal Woods?"

"Go back," Linka retraced. "What do we know so far?"

"We know that Nnyl is still eager to carry out her intended mission, and that's due to her wanting to be her own person, and achievements not of Lynn's MO. She's proven to have no sense of morality or restraints, which is what I think they were aiming for her to be. I can't tell if this is indeed intentional on their part."

"If them messing with her head and had predicted- No, maybe anticipated this outcome, this exact one where she wants to kill all phenos, it means that this is their real goal, and Nnyl is just a puppet for them to use. I don't know what the real reason behind the training grounds is, if they're just basically going to be killed by Nnyl anyways."

"I think I know," Lucky cut in. "I've seen this on a show I've watched. The point of establishing that base is for them to use, right? If the Agency have all the right tools, those phenos can be set loose on a town. Maybe they thought of... What, Royal Woods was it? It's tactical, they do that and put up a lockdown on the city, and that's where the extermination of them would happen."

Lupa and Linka were stunned by Lucky's thought, mouths agape. "What?!"

"What do you mean, what? It's how I figure it would go!" Lucky retorted.

"But there have to be more phenos out there, right? There can't be too many left, but maybe, like Lemy and the kids, there could be second generation ones out there," Linka pondered. "Are they really going to leave out the last ones?"

"But all the information on the phenos Lisa made possible was passed onto them in the raid before we were let out. They know about every single one that came out reborn into a mutated human. Using Lynn-"

"They...-" She got it. "Then all phenos... They're-"

"All locked up in that place," Lupa concluded. "It's like Lucky said. But the thing is, they can't release them all for no reason, so something has to happen to make them do so. The Agency needs someone to stir up a ruckus, and who do we know who can do such a thing?"

Linka tapped on her chest. "Th-they needed me? B-but they put me in prison-"

And they knew. They just fucking knew she'd get out, for they made it plain and simple. Linka remembered Travis' words of how what they expected her to do, but no one asked what they'd get out of it. At the time, it all centered around Nnyl's defeat, but now it had just advanced to a larger conspiracy.

"...They plan to use me for it. They're... They're going to lead me into a trap or something. And then..." She motioned fingers all over the place. "Nnyl will get wind and come to me, that's exactly how you would use the excuse to deploy troops against two very powerful phenos. That's gotta be it, that's the endgame. The Agency will mobilize their phenos and then call it an invasion and then it'll really go into lockdown."

"Fuck, now it sounds just as bad as we uncovered all of this..." Lupa opened up.

"Then, if you knew, why would you-?" There turned out to be a reason for Linka escaping, even after Lupa had known what was being set in motion.

"It would be suspicious that you didn't try to bust out, so we still have to be pawns in their game, and they can't catch wind of us while we go on the hunt for her. I've been thinking, maybe you should go to Royal Woods and report in ubder the guise that you think Nnyl is operating there, while I bust out the phenos."

"You? By yourself? Is that the real reason you came back? So that I end up as the bait?"

Lupa nodded with a smile. "Of course, this is still a joint mission. We can't afford to get the others to help us, not this time."

"And what of Lynn? Surely she'll be placed in the mission-"

"That's what I've also been thinking. They will send Lynn here, and right after they'll get word that Nnyl and I will be fighting. So, then..."

"She's also a target in their crosshairs, just like you and me, sis. It's really the end of all of us, and we have no choice..."

Lucky gulped.

"We can't avoid this shit, so it has to happen. We really have to be the two heroines for everyone."

Lupa looked upwards, feeling dreadfully doubtful about it. "Should we fail... You do understand what will happen after, right?"

"If they get their way, and manage to kill us all, including Nnyl..." She was terrified that this was happening right under their noses. "They're gonna frame our sisters as the true conspirators of this malevolent agenda."

Just when they caught a break, and just when things couldn't get any worse, this had just unraveled.

* * *

Linka returned the files back into the duffel bag. Her head had been spinning fairly fast, but only now had it begun to cease. "Government... Agenda... Genocide..."

"More like, phenocide!" Lupa tried to joke. "...Sorry."

"I'll thank you to never Liby it up a little," Linka groaned. "Well, I'm assuming Lucky should return back now, right? They will know you're..."

The redhead was giving off a serious vibe of the blues, scratching his arm as if he had done something he shouldn't have, like breaking a vase. "Uh... I'm..." Immediately, he took a step back, eyes fixated to the ground. He couldn't eye Linka nor Lupa in the eyes, like he had just moments ago.

"Lucky? Go on back, they'll be suspicious," Lupa informed. She moved to his side as he kept backing up oddly like something had been invisibly pushing him back.

Linka placed the duffel bag over her shoulder. "Hey, I hope you have one of those teleporter things with you. We totally need a few before-"

Then, Lucky's eyes shot upwards into the hole on the ceiling. "Ahh!" He covered his eyes in a cowardly manner. "I'm... S-sorry!"

Lupa followed his eyes, looking at Linka, and then gasped. "Wh-what the hell did you do?!"

"What did I do?! Hey, the kid is freaking himself out-" Linka didn't at all notice Nnyl looming ominously behind her. The soles on her suit were stealthily soft to have been detected, even after landing from the jump.

The next thing that happened was a complete disadvantage. The top half of Linka's head rolled a few times forward, dripping blood on the floor. Her short body was wiggling away, as if it was trying to perform a last minute foreign dance. What was visible to Lupa was the dead clone's tongue, surrounded by the wall of meat around it. The bottom jaw altogether stayed intact, but the blood had flowed out of it, and much of it on Nnyl's killing hand.

"Ha, I don't think she heard me come in," Nnyl announced. "But I heard enough of what you've found out. Royal Woods, the little conspiracy, and what I fell for."

Lupa readied into her battle stance, still shaken by Linka's sudden death. "Fiend, I'll kill you!"

"Easy, don't you think I'd actually switch sides and go against the very people who manipulated me in the first place?" Nnyl set a hand to her hips, while raising the other up.

"You just killed Linka! Switching sides is beneath the likes of you!" Lupa waved a hand, hoping to strike right at Nnyl. But she only succeeded in making a sudden flustering of the air, and was kicked right from behind, and fell right on Linka's body. "Bitch!"

"I guess you're right, but on the bright side, I just got a great idea. Now..." Nnyl started to toy with Lupa, throwing her around the place. "I've been thinking that I could do what you planned to do with the phenos, only that they serve me in an actual takeover of Royal Woods! Yes, I think that sounds like fun!"

"Like they could ever serve you!" Lupa triumphantly exclaimed, slumped over on her back.

"Well gosh, Lupa, that's very true! Oh, but how, just how will they ever become my slaves if they have free will intact?" She then snapped right at Lupa. "With mind control, of course! That's been developed already, which is how they intended to use to make their pets do as they please."

Lupa rolled over and swung at Nnyl's feet. "You won't win!"

"I think I already have!" Nnyl jumped in the air and shoved Lupa back down. "You're not walking out of here alive!"

The ground beneath them rumbled about, shaking violently. An earthquake at a very bad time? "What is this?!"

"I weakened the foundation!" Nnyl revealed as the ground below crumbled away. She fled by actually running up the walls, a not-so-impossible achievement granted by her speed. "I guess that means I won't see you for the grand finale!"

Lupa and Lucky were then falling just as the rest of the building began to follow the lead. "NNYL!"

What followed afterwards, was the endless pit of darkness, followed by the heavy debris falling around them, making loud bangs and crashes. Lupa lost the redhead somewhere in the fall, and she assumed he died immediately.

"Lupa! Lupa, where are you?!"

She heard him, alright. "Hey, don't move, I'll get us-" She budged first, but found herself immobile. She was pinned by some real heavy object at the legs. "Lucky? Stay right there! I'll get us out! I'll get us out!"

* * *

 **AN: OOOOOOOOOH! Linka dead, a bigger plot uncovered underneath the simple Nnyl conflict, and the finalization of too great of risks having shown themselves at the end! In thia tale, anything goes. Can Lupa hold it all down on her shoulders and see the defeat of Nnyl through, especially now that the advantage she had just gained is now a disadvantage? Will Nnyl actually succeed in making her own army of phenos and stir up a noise as she claims to do? And what about the Agency? How can Lupa make it to prevent them from making a move? Granted, that's if they can escape!**

 **It is now 3/4 completion of the "Nnyl" arcs.**

 **Also, Linka does not have the resurrection card this time. So, there's that. Nnyl did say she'd kill her when she visited the future Linka. Dun dun dunnnnnnn.**


	25. The Astronaut and the Telekinetic

**July 19th, 2039**

Lupa, completely blind underneath all that debris and rubble, found herself pinned down by her legs. She wanted to nudge herself free, but moving whatever was crushing them would likely destabilize the pile that might have formed over her legs, and earn herself a great crushing to death. "N-no! Lucky! Can you move?!"

The teen had a heavy chunk of wall crushing his right arm, rendering him face down, in the same predicament as Lupa's. "My arm! I'm stuck! Help me, Lupa!"

If they had a chance to get out, it would have to be in the form of a light, or any light source at that. "I'll get us out, just hang on! Hang on, kid!" She promised.

Lucky was crying, whimpering like a coward. Like a weakling. Like... The little boy he was inside. "P-please, don't let me die! Oh, God, don't let me-"

"Shut up and let me think!" Lupa lifted herself up and felt around her radius. "Ow!" She found something sharp and cold near to her right, and levitated it after picking it up. "Okay, I have a plan!"

Lucky groaned, still laying flat. "Please hurry!"

Lupa slipped off her sweater and threw it to the side. Using the shard of metal she kept afloat, Lupa rammed it to the floor and tried creating a spark near the sweater. She failed the first three times, but at the fourth did she cause enough friction to start a fire. The sweater was burning now, and Lupa raised it to her legs.

What was crushing her was a big part of the roof that have caved in with the whole warehouse. And on top of that flat chunk, some bricks and a dismembered hand that was Linka's own. "Oh G-God..."

One of their best guns had fallen, and there was no going back from this. What did it mean? Why wwre they destined to lose? Lupa lost focus, unknowingly setting the blazing sweater down slowly.

"Hey, Lupa!" Lucky had taken notice once the bright orange flame scared much of the infinite darkness. "A little help here?"

She focused back to perspective, returning to the current objective. "Oh, right! Hold on!" Lupa moved the fire to where Lucky appeared to be. She found him flat on his stomach, facing her direction. He motioned to his trapped arm, and lazily tried to budge free. "It fucking hurts!"

Lupa brushed the debris from his arm with a wave of her hand. "There! Hey, can you move all of this?!" Despite her able to use her telekinesis, Lupa wanted to get some rest. Which was hard, considering how much pain she was in as her legs gave her grief. "I need to patch up quickly! They're wounded!"

"Why can't you just-?" Lucky simply didn't understand. He had one damaged arm that needed healing as well.

"Goddamn it! Why do you all expect me to make it easier with my powers?!" Lupa was aggravated by the sudden expectation that they see amongst themselves. "I'm not a miracle worker!"

"L-Lupa-"

"You can't expect me to do all the work! I mean, sure, I can simply move this, but I'm not gonna. It's you who needs to work this off, so that it can help you in the future." Lupa was just aiming to build him further than he already is. He needed to get the muscle. Understand the importance of being independent. Learning that hard work pays off. Something like that.

Lupa squealed again. "MY LEGS, AGH! KID, NOW!"

"Okay!" Lucky sprinted to Lupa, and made a daring step right on the debris over her, quickly removing the bricks over her. "Sorry, sorry!"

"Motherfucker! You're only- Agh! Fucking Jesus!" The added weight gave her hell, but Lucky was maming up for it fairly quickly, reducing the weight.

He huffed and puffed as he cleared out the last of the rubble and kicked away the stray away. "There!" He then jumped off and was finally able to move the big obstacle she faced. He wasn't strong enough to do so, so Lupa aided there and helped him flip it away. "I hope you remember to work out when this is all over! The ladies don't like a scrawny little redhead boy."

Lucky began to sweat from the intensity of the heat, and with the additional moving and lifting that helped there too. "Oh, God! Your legs!"

Lupa's jeans were ripped in rags, revealing horribly scraped legs. She twitched them around, moaning painfully. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Wh-what should I do?!" Lucky dropped to his knees and hovered his hands over her legs.

She took a glance at his arm. "Can you move that?"

The burning sweater directed back above them. Pretty soon, the fire would extinguish on its own.

"Y-yes, it hurts but," Lucky wiggled both arms. "I can manage."

"Good," she said with relaxation. "We'll get out of this, just..."

She tuned back to what had led to this. Lucky was compromised by Nnyl somewhere in between. And what they found had been fed to her unknowingly. How convenient. How unpredictably convenient. Not.

She flipped him backwards, and dragged him on his ass right towards her. "You moron! Why, this is your fault! You led her right to us and we-" Reality came at its finest yet again. "Linka..."

"I'm sorry... She threatened to k-kill me... What was I supposed to do?! I can't hold off someone like that!" Lucky covered his face when it appeared Lupa was going to give him a good what-for.

She didn't, try as she might, and for the only sensible reason she picked up from him; the boy was truly a Loud not fit in their special line of duty. No brass balls that made him want to jump into the war zones and fight those who threatened the lives of one of their own. No, he wasn't built up like that, despite having two parents who did atrocious things together.

This was different. This was closer to them. Close enough to kill them.

They narrowly cheated death yet again, which was what Nnyl had clearly aimed for. But they were alive, remaining to finish off what fate assigned them to do. Or rather, just Lupa. "Luck... You don't wanna be here anymore, do you?" She spoke in a low, understanding tone that made him feel free to speak freely in her presence.

It was their many similarities that made Lucky think Lupa was just like Linka in all the wrong traits. He had her wrong from underneath the shell she had up. The moment came to him when she was understanding of it. She should have been before, but the three were too busy trying to survive. He didn't have to be here at all, so Linka's choice and responsibility for having him here was folly. "Kid..."

"I- I really d-don't...-" He couldn't finish saying it, but there was no need to. Lupa was not dense or merciless.

"When we get out of here... Go back. Go back to the Agency and warn the others. They've gotta get out of there. At least everyone but Lynn, you got that?" Lupa drew into a calm and shut her eyes.

"Lupa!" Lucky thought she died for a split second.

"No yelling! I want to get some rest, but tell me you got that..." Lupa was going to relieve him of the mission once they returned to the surface. From there, and with some sufficient downtime to heal, she'd be on her way to Royal Woods and break out the phenos. Her. A one-woman force of nature. It felt... The way she didn't want it to feel. "Tell me you understand me."

She was letting him free.

He nodded, and relaxed right beside her. "What about... Linka? You'll be all alone... I feel so guilty for this..." He was sincere, and only wished he was able to help her in any way possible. And he was, just the last thing that she was asking him to do. Warn the Louds. Warn them and get them away from the Agency. And then what? Would they hide and hoped Lupa succeeded in turning the tide?

He figured Lana could help, for he knew she was also a quickster. Lynn would definitely, but her position was to remain at the Agency to not raise any suspicion. Lupa, backed by Lana, with Lynn on standby the minute Lupa infiltrated the pheno training ground. "Wait, are you gonna be alone? Lana and Lynn, they can help you, can't they?"

Yes, they could. No, she wouldn't allow it. "It's a suicide mission up to here. I knew that already, and so did Linka. Honestly, I wouldn't have been surprised if one of us, or maybe both..." She stopped and turned back up. The body was somewhere in the mess, and the hand that was crushed out of its home body had landed and stayed on the ground. "If it meant risking whoever joins me in this, then no, I'm not having it. That's why I want you out, kid. You're young, you're soft-stomached, you don't need to die anytime soon."

If only... If only Lori Loud had the same idea and came to Lincoln with this. Then, things would have changed. Now, Lupa was reverting it, a change long-awaited. A change that had been fated for Linka to alter herself. She didn't, and she'd never be able to.

Lupa pointed upwards. "Come the sign of dawn, we get out and you go back. Go back and don't ever worry about me again, you hear?"

"L-Lupa?" To him, it sounded like she was leaving on a trip that had no return. And boy, was that an idea he wasn't too strange with. "I..."

No one needed to die trying, but rather to succeed, no matter how many scars and wounds were in between now and the endgame.

"Spare me. You're gonna say you don't want me to die or something. Well... If it were that easy, I would be keeping it to myself. I think you need to know, so that you understand it from my perspective." She lightly let out a cry. The pain was everlasting. "It has to be me alone now. I would have no other besides Linka by my side, because she understand... I mean, understood it completely."

"Wh-why the both of you? I don't understand..." Lucky laid down, eyes still on her. "Why just you?"

She opened her eyes at halfway. "Because... We were never Louds to begin with."

For Lupa, that realization had come to her only after emerging from her golden chamber all those years ago. She was conflicted about what path she belonged, out of two different ones that were paved for her by her genetic predecessors. But then, what next? She wasn't them, she was her own person. No need to be what they were. Not an ex-Freight, and not a demon hunter. Someone with telekinesis, she was, and someone who could make her own path.

Linka remained to fill in her own predecessor's shoes, and had become him, something that should never have been. And even when Lupa had tried to reach out and grant Linka a new life away from them, she refused. Lupa did explain that they were not Louds, apart from the shared DNA.

"She took it the wrong way," Lupa explained. "Back when we last saw each other, I told her we aren't Louds. We were just girls given that surname, but we were girls who didn't earn it. We weren't born of their own parents. I could never tell you what I think we are, because I could never answer that. I just know I'm not Lupa Loud. I'm Link-D, I've always been Link-D. And your aunt Luna, she was the one who decided I was a family member. I gave myself that name, though, and I'll never know why beneath the surface."

Lupa looked up past the fire's limited range it managed to project, deep into the darkness. "I'm going in by myself. Nnyl took everything from me, so what's there for me now? Don't send in back-up after me."

"But what about the kid? What was his name, uhh... Lemy? What if you get killed before freeing him? What then? Now that Nnyl knows where they are-"

Her eyes just opened widely. "That's right, she does. She does, doesn't she?" She asked curtly.

"You and Linka kinda kept going back and forth with this whole 'I am inferior to Nnyl and unable to solve this'' shit!" He did what Linka or Lupa could have done to each other, and slapped Lupa hard in the face. "I think you're just being dramatic because you're down a core member!"

He wasn't wrong.

Lupa just remained put, only listening to Lori's brat.

"Your death will just be one less person for her to worry about! And just so you know-" He then pointed up. "-She thinks were dead, so we have an actual element of surprise. Not just you, but the both of us! So maybe I can still be useful without having to endanger myself!"

She flinched, thinking.

"So, she removed you from your happy life, your own path that you so clearly suggest. Now you decided that you are going to continue this suicide mission all by yourself? You are a Loud! You can have some help! Lana, Lynn! They are at your disposal!"

She sighed.

"You said Linka understood you, yet I fail to see how. The Linka I know would slap you and tell you to get your shit together! She'd try her best to defeat Nnyl! I know, I know it seems like a real challenge, but I believe in you! I believed in you! Even after I wanted out of the trio, I still hoped you would succeed in stopping her and saving the family!"

She closed her eyes again.

"Why did you do it for in the first place?"

She opened them again and lifted herself upright. "Because I wanted to avenge them all when I believed she killed them. I was angry, and angry the same way you'd see Linka get."

In between, she had many moments of clarity to see sense for what it was, and for what couldn't be.

"It's bigger than us, and only we, plus Nnyl now, know the truth. This isn't just about stopping Nnyl anymore. It's about fucking preventing a genocide that spooks want to carry out. It's a real messy conspiracy, so I'm going to fight everyone on both sides, if Nnyl gets to the phenos before we do! I..." She stopped, breathing shakily. "I don't have a chance on stopping it. Not by myself. I don't want to involve those who can help me. I had enough of... Of people-"

Linka, the only remaining clone sister Lupa was grateful to have around as of yet, had met her untimely demise just as soon as all had come to light.

"D-dying..."

"And I don't want to die either, Lupa. I want to help you defeat her."

"I... I don't know..."

Lucky just sighed to her comment. "What are you going to do, then?"

Lupa just shook her head, completely lost. "I have to go. I have to try, it's the only thing to do. If Nnyl gets to them first, then I'll have to fight them all. Them, the Agency, her." Lupa looked up again. "Come-"

Lucky had his objections to Lupa's suicidal plans. "You'll... Die. There are too many for you..."

"I know. I know, but..." Pretty soon, Nnyl would be in Royal Woods to enslave all she would need and cause complete chaos. "Royal Woods. Huh, talk about a homefield adv-" She hit something. "Shit!"

"What, what is it?"

"Royal Woods is the Louds' hometown. Now, why, out of all places to choose from, why would they pick there?" She ventured deep into it. As soon as it clicked, and all gears came together to function the machine's design, Lupa completely turned around.

"I don't know. Why?"

"If there's a place that brings back bad memories, what do you do? You don't think about it, or visit it at any point in your life. That's the natural response. Lynn could never had known about it, because she would never set foot back in town. They kept it hush, a complete secret." She turned to him, making sure he was caught up.

"Go on..."

"Answer me this. Why do you keep a secret from someone?"

"That's simple," he said, raising shoulders casually. "So that they don't get involved and mess with-" He got it and was left with an open mouth. "Oh!"

"Oh is right! They set up shop there because they know Lynn is someone who can stop them! They have the advantage by setting up in a place that would get her mind bonkers long enough to distract her if she did find out, too! It means-"

"Oh, God! You have to stop them!"

"Royal Woods... There has to be something. Anything... Anything to save everyone from Nnyl and the Agency."

He just looked on, giving a soft nod. "And there will be. I don't know where or when, but there will be, I know it."

"How are you so hopeful?" She sassed.

"I'm just thinking what should be, over what is. There may be no guarantee you won't die, but there is none that you will, either. I don't want you to, so that's I wish you would take as much help as you can get. You versus hundreds only means one thing."

Lupa sighed. "I need a smoke or something... I might just be too stressed with this. Stressed, and still angry at you for bringing Nnyl here."

"Who thinks we're dead now. You know, I've played enough video games to formulate my own plan, and if you don't wanna hear it, then tough noodles.'

"...Who even says that anymore?" But she listened anyway.

"Mind control, that's what she said, didn't she? Then there's gotta be some device that will grant her the power over them. It could be them wearing some sort of device and she has the lead control. Either way, it can be destroyed, and in turn, allies can be made on the battlefield. It'll have to be fast before National Guard or whoever shows up turns it real ugly. Three parties become two, as it should be. Still the same result but you'd have some phenos attacking Nnyl if you're lucky."

Lupa set a finger to her lip. "Hmmm..." It was better than just jumping in and trying to beat everyone up. "Alright, but the amount of phenos will be a lot. I could be overwhelmed just as easily... Maybe-" She needed an electromagnetic pulse that would try the circuitry in the whole radius of town. "That's pretty genius of you, kid. You sound almost like daddy."

He scratched the back of his neck, unsure it that was a good thing. "Eh heh..."

"Linka would have been proud of you for that. After, you know, she finished kicking your ass for getting her killed!"

"I already said I was s-sorry."

"Well..." Lupa exhaled calmly. "At least now she's at rest. We can only hope that she's met Lincoln in the afterlife."

"Lincoln... My dead uncle, right?" Lucky asked. "The one whose genes were used to make you two, right?"

"All four original clones, yeah. But it's me and Linka who are more like him than the other two could ever be."

He nodded, agreeing to what she was telling him. "Have I... Have I met him before?"

"Of course you have. You've..." Liby and Lacy had their fair share of playing with the toddler once before. Even if Lucky hadn't his memories wiped, would he still have remembered them? "You've met most of the family."

"Oh..." He hated the way it turned out for him. "Damn them."

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't know about what they did to you, and I didn't know Linka was hiding it from you."

"I don't suppose you have an answer why she did it to begin with."

Lupa gave her answer in the form of silence. Why Linka did it was lost on Lupa. All the clone had for a lame answer was, "Maybe she was protecting you."

"Protecting me? From what? From what, Lupa?"

"From them," Lupa laughed. "The less you know, the better. That's how they think."

"I'm- Oh..." Lucky understood it slowly. "I think I get it."

"Good. Don't think she didn't care about you at all, because she did. And you know why?"

"I'll bite. Why's that?"

 **June 28th, 2026**

 _"I'm not a fucking kid," Lupa heard Linka tell Lincoln, right before she re-entered their room. Liby and Lacy were flying around with the five-year-old Lucky around in the air. "Go, Lucky, go! Go, Lucky, go!" Lacy cheered as the boy was floating around._

 _"Look at me! I'm a tiny astronaut!" He exclaimed enthusiastically. "Weeeee!"_

 _Linka interrupted Lupa's brood mood and aligned her back to the wall right beside her. "I'm guessing you heard."_

 _"Guns, huh? You're graduating to being Lincoln Jr. now. You sure you want to go there?" She wanted to see for herself if Linka's words were worth what she meant she said._

 _"You say that like I'm not meant to be him. After everything, I'm still his clone, and so are you. Well, by half."_

 _Lupa let out a chuckle. "So what? I'm just a pheno with a few sisters, that's all that matters. No one asks, no one cares. And best of all, no one cares. Right?"_

 _"No one... Right." Linka directed her eyes to the kid. "Hard to believe he'd come back to our lives. I've got those baby memories in my head, and now look at him! What are the odds?"_

 _"I still think Lori should have run off with Lincoln," Lupa opened up. "She chose the wrong side. Can you forgive her for that?"_

 _She shook her head. "I can't. He couldn't. He didn't. He tried to kill her, if you know about that."_

 _"And she saved the both of you recently, at the cost of her own life. Are you telling me you're still not going to forgive her?"_

 _Linka just sighed. She had to, because for one thing, Lori was the person who closely watched over and protected her. This was before Lincoln stepped up to bat. "I do owe Lori some favors. She wasn't just my handler, but the first friend I had when I came out. The Lori we all know. My... Sister."_

 _"So promise her," Lupa pointed at the kid. "Promise Lori you'll return that favor and take care of him, in only the way that is Linka Loud's own."_

 _"Yeah..." Linka set her hands behind her back and looked down. "I'll do it. I'll be there for the kid..."_

 **Now**

"Every damn time she decided to bring you along, was because of that promise she decided to keep up to here. I'm sure she never planned to get you killed or something, even though-"

"She really put me in harm's way," he shivered.

"Yeah, of course. I'm no Linka, so I don't have to keep that up and running. You've done enough for me, so thanks." The fire was on the verge of burning out, cackling even less now. Lupa looked down to her legs. "Godfuck-..."

"To tell you the truth, she does... I mean, she did scare me a lot. But Linka was a tough one, but she and Luna matched each other when it came to the strict trait."

"Oh? Yeah, that sounds about right. Lincoln was like that, too."

"Speaking of him, was he the same way?" If there was ever a time to get to know about more of the family tree, it might as well have been now.

"Is that not obvious?" She sarcastically answered. "That's the thing about him the others didn't like. At first, some of them sided with him because they felt he was right in some aspects about doing what it took to protect each other. Lincoln and Luna would often butt heads, and in time, those on his side changed teams. Lori knew where her place belonged, so she never left his side. Then again, she softened up at the same time, and she was forced to work with a couple of bad guys because they held you hostage..."

He squinted. "I know how this goes. They come to the rescue, save me and Linka, but..."

"To put it simply, he was. But Linka was not always the person you've come to known. She was sweet, innocent, and just wanted him around so that she didn't feel lost and unguided. He was broken in many parts, but tried to be suitable for her when it counted for. She loved him a lot, and I guess losing him was the push over the edge."

"I... Understand that. But, what did him in? I mean, you do know, don't you?"

And just like that, the fire went out.

"Everything," she said in the dark. "But, maybe that dark persona of his might've always been there, even before the fire. There was a time, when he was a kid, there was a case of the flu going around. He went full 'zombie survivor' on the household, and was attacking and fighting off those who caught it. Even back then..." Even back then, the manifestation of a darker Loncoln existed. One who would hurt his own mother to save the remainder of the healthy. "Maybe it there all along."

"Sounds grim, Lupa."

"Yeah... So, any more questions?"

"No..." Lucky replied with a low tone.

"Remember, Luck. Tomorrow, go back, warn them. Tell them it falls on me to do this mission, and tell them to get out of there. All but Lynn."

He frowned, an expression she couldn't see or detect.

"I'll do it your way. After all, it seems like a better plan than just fighting blind. It means..." She had to let go of one wild card.

"Yes, you have to let Nnyl win this round," Lucky had in mind. "You set up in Royal Woods, and hope for the best."

Yes, that was the idea. No, Lupa needed to either create or steal an EMP bomb. That was bound to help massively. And she needed it fast. "Oh, I'm gonna have to break into a military base."

"Uh?"

"Or... Hold up." Maybe they had one back at the Agency. "I need you to find something out for me when you get back. Do you know what an EMP is?"

"Oh, ah! Yes, I know what those are. And yes, I've seen one back at the Agency, but briefly. My guess is they'd use that on Royal Woods as a protocol in containment."

"Right, they'll basically cut off Royal Woods from the rest of the world. Not only will phenos be in danger, but hundreds of civilians living there." Lupa pictured many familiar faces being caught in the war zone. "Now the stakes really get high."

"Lupa? I'm... Gonna close my eyes now..." Lucky went silent after that.

Lupa moved her arms around, feeling him, and then pulled him body close to her. She wrapped herself around him, snuggling the boy with great comfort. "You and I both... It's going to be a big day tomorrow," she declared. "A new day."

She relaxed over him, taking in the peace of the incoming sleep. She had him believing in her still, despite being down by half. Maybe Lupa was really all it took. And since she was to spare herself of fighting the Agency forces in the facility in Royal Woods, she might've dodged a graphic demise. Who knew how much they progressed with ant-pheno weaponry. Lupa was not eager to find out first-hand.

She was a little relieved, but had yet long aways to go. Tomorrow would come, and it would the the start. The start of the final journey, which so happened to be in the very place where the Louds had come to be. The place they died to be resurrected into new personas, and the place that would see who would live, and who would die.

The beginning was the end.

* * *

 **AN: I think some very grave concern for Lupa is in order. She wants to do it solo, but can she achieve victory like this? Or will she need help? Will she end up receiving it forcefully? Only time will tell. And the clock is ticking rather fast, so Lupa will not have long. And neither do the others. See you next time!**

 **Also no, I guess I didn't flashback that episode after all.**


	26. The Lincoln Loud Library

**April 19th, 2038**

Luan was exploring the internet at the time, specifically YouTube. Her channel remained, untouched for an eternity. The second hiatus had brought her some depression. No way she could continue it now, with her new assistants having been dead for years now. Liby. The new persona of Luan, gone.

They had only gone to upload five new videos in the resurrection of Luan Out Loud, and no more than that. Luan was watching them all.

The first one was when Liby and Linka got together and pranked her for the new video that revived her channel. They got her good, and Luan was truly happy to receive the gift of it. That, and Funny Business, Inc, both of her personal hobbies she hoped to revive altogether. But it wasn't to be.

The second video was of Liby pranking Lupa, by blowing an airhorn over the sleeping clone one bright morning. Lacy, the camera girl at the time, was not doing a very good job as she was constantly snickering high enough that the camera waa shaking, getting a not-so-good angle when they shot it. Luan was fine with it, as the prank was still watchable and funny enough to not delete.

Liby and Lacy were truly full of life back then. Luan paused the video before it ended, and stared at the laughing smile that actually belonged to her. No, it was hers, only borrowed by someone else of her own blood. A daughter. Luna's unofficla daughter.

And funny enough, that was what the commentors were thinking about Liby; they, too, were believing Liby was the original YouTuber's kid. They accepted her, and liked that Liby was to carry the mantle of Luan's work.

Yes... Luan closed the tab of the computer. The next successor... And Luan wasn't even married.

She pulled herself back and was ready to shut off the computer.

Linka and Lucky had come in, bursting through the door. Lucky, in nothing but black shorts and a red tank top, was quiet and hissy. Linka was pointing up the stairs. "Get the fuck out of my sight in the meantime."

Luan looked their way with an eyebrow raised. Were they arguing like Linka would with Luna? Had to be. "Welcome back, you two."

Linka crashed on the couch, shutting her eyes. "No, thank you. What's Luan doing?"

"Just... Just looking back at my channel," she said with a degree of hurt.

Of course, Linka detected it on the spot. It was also that venturing down there was painful, so why did Luan go back? "You miss those days, don't you?"

"It's not just that," Luan added. "There's that, and then... You and Liby convinced me to continue where I left off, if you remember that."

Linka opened her eyes and raised herself up. Luan had just made it depressing for her to catch a nap. "Yeah, I remember..." She wanted to go and leave Luan to wallow in her own sadness, but she was being prevented by something that kept her from doing so. So Linka got up again and went to Luan. She planted her soft hands on the old comedienne's shoulders and began massaging her. It was way out of character, but Linka didn't do it to mess with her. Maybe Luan needed something.

"I'm... Uh, I'm sorry," was all she said to accompany her actions. "I liked having her around."

"I'm pretty sure we all did," Luan corrected. "Liby was a good girl."

And that she was. She and Lacy alike. What made those two different from Linka and Lupa at this time? Was it that they still saw things more brighter when they were alive? Yeah, maybe that was the main factor of how those two had kept their positivity high, more than Lupa's own back then. Liby. Liby was the girl with the most innocence of the clone faction, and Lupa had sought to keep her that way. And it was kept as such, and God only knew what was going through the misfortunate little girl's mind when Lincoln ended her life.

"Yes, yes she was," Linka agreed with a quiet tone. "I'm glad you guys got to spend time together. Lynn didn't do all that much with Lacy, and neither did Lucy with Lupa. Well, not as much as you two were."

Luan just stared at the computer screen. "I'd never have imagined seeing myself through my own eyes like that again." Her breaths were shaky now, and the voice trembled a bit. Crying, maybe. "I didn't want her to to anytime soon..."

Linka kept her stance, staring down at the glum Luan.

"Or... The others. Lacy... Lincoln..."

Linka removed her hands and stood back straight up. "Yeah..."

Lincoln waa still dead. Right.

Luan caught on and turned around. "Oh, I'm s-sorry... I know you miss him..."

Linka looked away for a moment, trying to masquerade the pain and bottle it up again.

Luan then turned back to the computer. "He once made an album of memories when we were kids," Luan began to explain. "He once accidentally deleted a folder of-"

"I know how that went down," Linka croaked.

"Huh?" Luan paused. "Oh, right. I guess you do... Say, no one but him knew the access to the Cloud. I'm guessing you and Lupa do, too. C-could you...-?"

It had been well over twenty years since last seeing the album. Yes, the Lincoln Loud Library, a compilation of photos he and his many sisters had spent some time in recreating for the one he lost. And it was fun, it was meaningful, and it was... Them. The perfect family helping the innocent boy replace the deleted photos for better ones, deeper ones. Ones that he would always come to treasure in his heart for as long as he'd live, and so would they.

That was a result of keeping the dogital photo album around, and only now was it delivering a similar purpose.

Linka had already logged into the Cloud, and opened up to where she remembered the album would be. "Here you go," she said, moving away from the computer.

Luan's green eyes began to scroll left to right, row upon row, at all the photos in stock. She remembered that they took a long time to recreate Lincions lost memories, and it was odd for her to see the redo's rather than the original ones. Yeah, the ones that time made her forget about. "Oh..." She sadly uttered with her head falling forward.

Linka was back on the couch, and rather than trying to get some shut-eye, she found herself just staring idly at the White ceiling. Funny... All that time that passed, and it was just now that the damn album had resurfaced. Why now? Why here?

They forgot. It had to be as simple as that. They all forgot, with the exception of Lily, who had no idea about it back when it was first made. Maybe some things were meant to be forgotten. Question was, was this long-forgotten album part of that applicable equation too?

"Geez, you're not gonna let me sleep with all your gloomy whining," Linka bitched.

"S-sorry..." Luan had enough of seeing the pictures, and closed the tab altogether. She then switched off the computer and moved out of the chair.

It was in the past, all in the past. A painful sight for Luan's eyes, so why was she-

Clicked. Linka deduced Luan needed to look at them for the sake of feeling something. The funny games had been over for so long, that it left something that Linka had to be in Luan's mind just to understand what pain she's been in. And the same went for the others. She knew them on the surface, but dwelling into the deeper personas of each of them, well, she was no psychiatrist to break down each of them.

But that didn't mean she wasn't knowledgeable about certain things there.

"Hey..." She gave up a nap for this shit. "You wanna go... Uh, get some ice cream or something?"

Luan stammered, surprised Linka would invite her to some family time. Usually it would be with Lucky, and no one else. "Oh, uhhh... Yeah, sure," Luan agreed.

Linka had swiped roughly tweny bucks from Luna. She was set to to, and sat up, waiting for Luan. "Ill wait for you outside."

Luan went upstairs to get dressed. With some wide mom jeans that made her butt look well thick, and a plain yellow tee, she was all set to go. Phone and keys were all at the ready, and Luan was hopping back down, carefully making as little noise as she could. Maybe she'd get back ice cream for the others. "Hey, I'm ready," she told Linka once coming out.

And just before the two young women had left out of range, Linka had heard last-minute screams from Luna. She found the missing money and pin-pointed the culprit, but a little too late. Linka seized Luan's arms and booked it. "Let's go!"

"Ow, okay!" Luan wasn't given much of a choice, running right besides Linka. And they kept running. Running away from home.

* * *

 **AN: It was only at halfway when I remembered I mentioned the Library very briefly in the first series, but to find what was written is a challenge out of my time. Yes, this is the same one that was from that one episode, of the title that I forgot. I think I've missed some episodes now that I think about it. I guess I oughtta search them eventually.**

 **Also, I figured out where I'm going, and what I plan, so be ready for a hell lot more.**


	27. Death Warrant

**July 13th, 2039 - Hours After Nnyl's Attack**

The trio were back to square one. They found her, they found their number one suspect. And it wasn't Lana after all. It was just another Lynn, but a worse one than the original Lynn herself. They had no choice but to leave things unfixed as of yet. Lemy, the unknown location of the training grounds, and the roaming Nnyl still out there with kill intentions.

"Damn it!" Lupa kicked a half empty trashcan on the alley they were taking a break in.

"What are we doing? And where are we going?" Lucky was beginning to question the pair of white-haired girls, who seemed to be troubled in trying to figure out what was what, and also where to go.

"Shush. We can't go back to the house, can we, Linka?" Lupa took to the corner and eyed front and back. "That's probably where they think we'll go, right?"

"Yeah, that's a correct assumption. We've gotta go into hiding somewhere-"

A classic 70s Impala of the black variety had pulled right into the alley just as it appeared to be passing by. The headlights flickered in a random pattern, and the car stopped just dead in front of them. Then, the engine's powerful racket came to cease when the ignition was switched off. What a beast.

"What the hell's this?" Lupa asked Linka, while Lucky just gulped and cowered behind them. "Uh, Lucky?"

Two men exited the car and walked over to the trio. The driver was your average bulldog type of person, sporting up a spectacle of many tattoos on his body. Neo-Nazi. The second one, the passenger, was the stereotypical black thug with a hoodie that made him look just as intimidating he would be without it. A bat was in this one's hand.

Lupa had the knack to be sarcastic. "You play baseball? Damn, you've gotta let me watch you play sometime." And she laughed, bumping her elbow into Linka's shoulder.

"Ey, boy, you still owe us the money," the bulldog spoke. "Where the fuck is it?"

Linka turned to the brat. "Money? You owe someone money?"

The redhead just lifted his arms and moved them all over the place. "Well, yeah. I mean... It's not a- Oh, my God."

"And who are these hot bitches you got?" There was some unnatural laugh that the tattooed bulldog had, and it made Lucky very uncomfortable.

"I- I just need more time! Please, just a few more days!"

The black thug loomed over Lupa, readying to use the baseball bat right on Lucky. "Outta my way, little girl."

"We don't have a few more days, Lucky. You know the rules. If you can't pay the money, pay with your life," bulldog turned to his partner. "Get him!"

Lucky gasped and jumped away. "No!"

Lupa was the the only formidable roadblock in the thug's way. She put her hands on him and gave him a shove. It wasn't much physical strength she had, but she backed herself with space in between them. "You'll not be touching the boy!"

The thug was surprised to have some trouble like this. "Dumbass girl, now you're gonna get it!"

But Lupa was the one to give it to him, by simply twisting his neck completely around. Now his head was backwards, and it was beautifully grotesque just as it was imaginable. The body fell, and the bat rolled right to Linka's feet.

"You were saying?" She smirked to the only thug left.

He took out a snub revolver, and Lucky ducked down hysterically. "Stay back! Stay back, f-freaks!"

Lupa snatched the gun from his arms, and in turn, the bulldog had stumbled toward, right into Linka's swing of the bat. She overdid it by ending up killing him really hard. Not only did blood fly out, but some teeth popped out of place. "Holy shit!"

The body made a noticeable thud to the ground.

"Kid," Lupa began. "You've got some explaining to do."

"Uh?" He looked up to the results of his own mess. "Ah... It's not what it looks like!"

"How much?!" Lupa raised him into the air and had him pinned onto the wall. "Start talking!"

And he did. It seemed he owed three hundred to a drug dealer he kept bailing out on. These two were the dealer's friends out on the prowl for him. Two of however many the dealer had on speed dial. "You son of a bitch. Lori never did drugs!"

"I'm sorry! It helps me calm the nerves!" Lucky defended, after being released back on solid ground.

"Calm this!" Linka punched him, but measured her power and held back. He went down, falling over a trash bag. "Lucky, we don't need this! Not now!"

He just lifted his hands and stuttered up gibberish.

Linka raced her hands to her head and had a tiny freak out. "No! No, Goddamnit!"

"Linka?" Lupa had never seen this side of her before. "It's okay, we can settle the score."

"We have too much on our plate!" Linka snapped.

"Lucky, you know where we can find this dealer of yours? Surely he's locally known or something."

Lucky's gears inside his head spun faster. "Umm... Yeah, I think it was somewhere in San Jose. Silver... Silver something. He only mentioned it once."

"Silver something, oh great. I don't know where that is. Linka?"

"It's south of here," Linka answered. "He probably means Silver Creek. Ugh... What does this maggot look like?"

"He's a big, black dude named Bubbah. Well, that's what they call him."

Linka pointed to Lupa's first kill in this chapter. "You mean big like that?"

"No, we're talking like, three times that. Six feet and over three hundred pounds of overpowering strength." Lucky even shuddered when describing the dealer. "This isn't a guy to fuck with."

"Well, he hasn't met us, I'm sure," Lupa announced with calm. "I guess we're making an unschedlued stop."

Linka sighed. "What more will we be handed down that will get in the way?" She moaned, irritated. "Fuck, okay. Search these guys. They gotta carry wallets, meaning IDs and a location. Let's see if we can work ourselves to this Bubbah character."

"Right," Lupa agreed. She rummaged carefully through the pants of the dead, and only got one wallet instead of two, coming out of the black thug. "Here we go..."

Linka snatched it from the air and opened it. "We're taking that and the car. Gotta make this look like it was a common crime." She grabbed the hoodie from the dead thug's corpse. "Lucky, put this on."

He gagged. "DONT YOU KNOW WHERE THAT HAS JUST BEEN?!"

"Of course. Don't forget, this is the shit you started. Drugs, Lucky? Really? For shame!" She threw the hoodie at his face. "Just shut up and do it!"

He placed it over his own orange one, shivering in disgust. "I hate this..."

"Yeah? Well, now you know how I feel," she spat at him. "Get in the damn car."

The trio got into the car; Lucky was the automatic designated driver, Linka was the map guide, and Lupa was the poor backseat passenger who had nothing to do but to just look out the window. Lucky looked at the clutch. Old school shit. "This is nice. Can I keep it?"

Linka broke the window on her side. "No."

Lupa giggled to Lucky's disappointed whine.

 **Later**

It was a maze of roads that Linka kept directing him to. Gas had almost gone empty on them, but they came across a park where she instructed Lucky to park in. "If I remember right, this would be the area. Silver Creek is here, so what now?"

"I- I don't know," Lucky admitted. "No one knows where he lives..."

Linka thought it was time to improvise. "Lucky, Lupa, out."

"What? What are you doing?" Lupa crossed her arms, not following.

"I'll drive around, and then come back. You'll know what to do, okay?"

"I'm... What?" Lupa threw her arms in the air, giving in. "Alright, but don't do anything reckless."

 **Fourteen Minutes Later**

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO NOT DO SOMETHING RECKLESS?!" Lupa yelled at her.

Two cars full of gangsters had been flipped over by Lupa, and Linka was the end of those who scatter out of the wreckage. Miraculously, Linka sustained no damage whatsoever on herself. Too bad the same thing couldn't be said about the stolen ride. The tires had been blown out, so they had to walk on foot. At least now the two girls were armed.

Linka got the better gun, a micro Uzi, and Lupa had two handguns for dual wield.

"What? Don't I get anything to use?" Lucky nagged.

"No!" They replied together.

"They all came from the same street," Linka mentioned. "Like, I just drove through and then I heard all this screaming about the car and I had them all chasing me. Also, thanks for the aid, sis."

Lupa squinted her eyes. "You little shit."

"Hey, we should like, get the fuck out of here," the redhead suggested. "People are looking this way..."

There had been quite a number of spectators watching from the park, some taking cover around trees. And more were looking from the streets.

"Ah... Too much attention here, it's just gonna give us grief!"

Lupa gave her guns to Lucky. "Hold these," she instructed, grabbing a hand on both Linka and Lucky.

"Hold these? What are you-" He was then caught off-guard as Lupa took them upwards into the air. "WAIT, STOP!"

"No time! Just close your eyes for the meantime!" Linka stated.

"MOMMY!" The wimp cried out.

"Shut up before I drop you!" Lupa threatened. "You're just as heavy as Linka!"

"Why, fuck you, Lupa," Linka threw back. "This isn't one of your better ideas."

They soared through the air for a solid few minutes before Lupa made a landing at a rooftop of a nearby multi-story building. Lucky, relieved, went full snow angel on the ground. "Oh, fuck! Thank the gods!"

Lupa took back her weapons and unloaded the clips. "Linka, you idiot! These are empty!"

"Oh, are they? Well, that's on you for not checking before. Besides, you can push people without being near them!"

Lupa made puppy eyes at her. "No fair!"

"Yeah, no fair!" Lucky pointed out.

"How do you two figure? Never mind that, we've gotta go back there. Just you and me, Lupa. Lucky stays."

"And leave me here until you guys take down Bubbah? Well, how long will that be?"

Linka took to the edge and looked down below. "Hours. We've been spotted, and maybe we'll end up on a new party's shit list. Hopefully that's not the case."

"Well, they saw us leave in the most bizarre way possible. Either we'll be seen divine entities or they'll piece together we're phenos. Who would want to fuck with us then?" Lupa sniffed her armpits. "I think I need a shower."

"Same here," Lucky yawned. "And some rest."

 **One Hour Later**

Linka stood looking down, watching the tiny ants that were people move back and forth. Sirens had rang out somewhere in the distance, from both cop cars and ambulances, meaning the scene was being tended to. It was only after that Linka figured the quick shootout had died down. By then, it was dark.

"Funny... Earlier, we got our ass handed to us by Lynn-Clone, and now we just shifted to this. Talk about a downgrade."

"Hey, I don't see why you're complaining. At least we're actually winning here, and that's something going our way. Well, sort of." Lupa was laid down and looking into the sky. "Just don't let it happen again, Lucky."

"Don't even say anything, kid. This is a pain in the ass all the way around!"

Lucky had his lips zipped.

"I think we should move out now, Lupa," Linka suggested.

"It's been like an hour-"

"Will they be expecting us though?" Linka wondered. "I doubt it! Come on."

Lupa rose into the air, and picked Linka up by the waist. "Yes, O' Noble Leader."

"Wait, why like this?! Do I look like a fucking child to you?!"

Lupa found it amusing to her. "Hey, this works best for me. That way I make sure you don't fall."

"BUT-" Now Linka felt Lupa was just doing for the fun of it. She gripped the Uzi firmly now. "Whatever the fuck!"

They were off, and Lucky just remained alone, perched on the rooftop. The flight was a cold one, and Linka was getting the chills. "F-f-fuck... Hurry up!"

"Anymore faster will just make it a colder ride!" Lupa countered.

A full minute passed before Lupa was directed by Linka on where to go. At one street, to the right of Heathcot Court, Linka pointed to the first three houses. "You see these three houses? Yeah, these are the ones where I encountered the thugs. Land me on the first house."

Lupa dropped her off there. "You want me to strike the other two? Or shall you have all the honors?"

"Let's make this a competition," Linka chuckled heartily. "Get the last house, and first to the second one is the winner." Linka then dropped down into the front door, seeing Lupa then float away.

Linka knocked on the door. "H-hello?" Time for an act. "Can you please help me? Hello?"

If she were a guy, maybe no one would have opened up to her. Someone did. A qualifying candidate for Linka to kill. It was a Mexican fellow with a long white shirt, filthy facial hair, and long-due a haircut, seeing as how his hair was tied in a ponytail. How gay indeed. "What's up? Watchu need?"

His eyes were definitely thirsty for a little something special she could offer. Linka had something truly memorable for him, the keepsake of a lifetime. "I need Bubbah!"

She revealed the Uzi she hid on her back and unloaded five bullets onto his chest. It was glorious goodness she savored with delight.

In seconds did a new firefight break out, and Linka was shooting and switching between three new targets, jumping from sofas to corners for the cover. She got one of them, but almost had herself in the sights of a shotgun.

"Tell me where Bubbah is!"

"Fuck you and die already!" One of them said, still shooting the corner Linka hid behind.

Linka was near the kitchen; she fetched a frying pan and returned to stick it out as a false target. It was shot at and the bullets ricocheted off of it. She waited until they ran out of ammo. And when they did, she made it quick, unloading all she had with the only clip of her gun. Linka took the shotgun and looked around. She didn't find any black man that fit Lucky's description. "Dang it!"

Coming out, she bumped into another thug going towards the house as back-up. This one had a big Bowie knife, but Linka blasted away his head, reducing it into a bloody mess, leaving only the neck intact. She took the large survival knife and kept going.

Up ahead in the third house, two of the Bubbah guy's friends flew out the window, pushed by none other than Lupa. She was slower than Linka.

Lupa was on her last one, and had him floating face down, with his head dangling over the stove she turned on. "Where is he?! Where is this fucking Bubbah!"

"N-no! He's n-not here! He's not here!"

She lowered him down further. "You know where!" More gunshots rang off, sounding even more closer than before. Linka had probably beat her to the middle house. No time to lose now, so she made him an example and had him burned greatly.

"YEOWWWWW! OH, GOD, FUCK!" He screamed to the top of his lungs before Lupa pulled him back down. "Th-th-the motel. There's a motel near here! That's where he'll be! Super 8, I think!"

She didn't spare him, however. Linka regrouped with Lupa here, giving her a casual smile with the shotgun still in her hands. "No one gave me what I wanted to hear, so I gave them the slugs."

Lupa left the kitchen. "I did. Where's the nearest Super 8 motel? That's where this one said he'd be."

Linka checked her ammo. "It looks like I'm empty." She dropped the boomstick, and raised her hands. "Hold my fucking hands this time."

Lupa snickered. "So sensitive."

"Quiet!" Linka turned hot red, and blushing. Odd. "What the hell?"

"Do you like it when you get touched by girls?" Lupa sarcastically asked.

"C-can you not?" They had just exited the house.

"Oh, hey, you are really blushing!" Lupa noticed. "Oh, I knew it. I knew you were-"

"Don't say it!" She warned.

"Little Linka is gay! Or... Lesbian? What's the right term here?" Lupa pondered it.

"No one knows in the household..." She admitted with a tone of pain. "Or cares to find out."

"Well, maybe if you opened up, they would listen, wouldn't they?" Lupa pulled Linka back inside. "It can't be out of fear that you decided to keep quiet. We all know Luna is bisexual, and Luan, isn't she gay? Or something? I don't know, whatever the fuck. My point is..."

She then pinned Linka against the wall and gave her a big kissy. Linka was surprised, but ended up tonguing Lupa back out of how nice her mouth's performance was. Better than Ronnie Anne's that's for sure. "Mmmm..."

"Heh," Lupa was also lightly going cheek-red. "Great kisser. Find yourself a good girlfriend when this is all over."

Linka brought her heart rate back down. "I will, Lupa. I will."

 **12 Minutes and a Super 8 Manager Knockout Later**

"Room 22, huh?" Linka flipped over the open sign to close and then left the office. "Have a good night, sir." She latched onto Lupa who waited outside for her.

"Which one?"

"Room 22." Linka had the knife ready, preparing herself for another tiny bloodbath. "Top floor."

Lupa looked to the entrance. No one in sight this time to witness a pair of phenos at work. She lifted them upwards, stopping just at the room. "I'll leave it to you, just shout if you need back-up." Lupa then hid to the roof, aligning herself right above the room.

Linka coughed and then knocked. "Prostitute for Bubbah!"

From within, Linka heard some quickly alarmed mumbles and faint movement. "Hey, shhh. Hold up, hold up..." Finally, some footsteps were recognized, and then a booming man's voice. "We didn't order any prostitute, fuck off."

"Your pals from Heathcot sent me," she replied courageously.

More chattering. Annoying to her.

Finally, she was met by a thug, a skinny black man who couldn't have been the target. "You here for Bubbah?"

Yes, she was. "Of course," she answered seductively, making fake googly eyes at him.

He moved from her path, revealing another black man lying half-naked in bed. Bubbah. Linka was expecting an intimidating enforcer type thug, but the dude looked like Fat Albert, only with facial hair. "Come on in! Why, how nice of those boys to drop me a little gift! I like them white, alright."

Linka wanted to gag in her mouth at the sight of him. She watched him get up and move right in front of her. She kept her facade running long enough to draw the knife and then stab tubby right in the guts.

"Holy shit!" The other guy, possibly a bodyguard, jumped back and drew a golden revolver. "Mothafucka!"

Lupa jumped in and redirected the gun to his cheek, and killed him on instant.

"Ack!" Bubbah gurgled out his blood from the big fat lips of his. "D-do you have a fucking death w-warrant?"

"This is for Lucky!" She said, retracting the knife from him. Linka then fisted her entire hand forcefully into the wound, and pulled out a handful of flesh.

"O-oh, God!" Bubbah stumbled to his knees, breathing heavily. "Wh-who's Lucky?"

Linka raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, who's Lucky? You know who the fuck!"

The dealer was fiercely cupping the intensely bleeding wound, now hyperventilating. "I don't know anyone named Lucky!"

"The redhead teenager with a hoodie!" Lupa detailed.

Bubbah's lips averted, and bloodshot eyes shot open. "Oh, you mean the Russian girl named Laika, right?"

Linka shook her head. "What? No, it's a guy named Lucky! He- Why are we arguing about this?" Linka just assumed he was playing dumbass games with her. She jammed the knife into his jugular and twisted harshly. That silenced Bubbah for good.

"I think he was trying to buy himself some time," Linka thought. "That was definitely a lie, right?"

"Yeah, he had two of his guys waiting on-" Lupa stopped. "Wait a second..."

Linka facepalmed. "That deceiving little shit!"

Meanwhile, Lucky was laughing at the deception he bestowed upon both girls. What the truth was that Lucky only owed the two guys who attacked them before, and no one else. The following gangsters Linka and Lupa ended up killing were the rivals of the two and the faction they belonged to, carried out in the case that it would be less suspicious that Lucky was involved. And he wasn't involved directly.

Linka and Lupa did the dirty work mostly, and if anyone were to desire revenge, they'd only end up dead in a very gruesome fashion.

Lucky was still on the roof, laughing high and mighty as Linka and Lupa would wrap up and finish Bubbah and his faction. He'd be relaxed, safe again, and if they caught on, then he'd take on whatever punishment there would be.

Or so he thought.

"Mark my words! We're going to steal a plane and make Lucky jump off! That's a promise!" And Linka would prove to be true to her word sooner than she realized.

* * *

 **AN: So I made this as a [lousy] tribute to a variety of movies I've seen, like Death Wish, The Brave One, etc. That's where the title loosely comes from, and to tell you the truth, this was planned as an arc with more Linka mental dialogue and darkness, but I think it's established that she has gotten redeemed in a sense. Why need bother, when I need more humor and fuckery, which I see that really lacks here?**

 **I was hoping this one-shot would be longer, but I guess it didn't happen like I expected, couldn't really come up with anything.** **The thing is, there's still much more before the final battle with Nnyl, but maybe it's a bit too much between now and then that it might have to be cut to not stray from the main plotlines. I don't know, that's kinda what I feel, but maybe it might not be that way.**

 **If I keep going as I planned, then we'd have only three arcs and a few one-shots in between now and the conclusion to the Nnyl arcs. Although I'm not firmly certain. One thing I'm glad to get out of this is that Linka is revealed as gay/lesbian, due to Lincoln being straight. You know how it is.**

 **Oh also yeah, Laika ( originally Beckycoln kid) exists here.**

 **Next... Hahaha, more unpredictable shit.**


	28. Crisscross, Part One

**July 20th, 2039**

Lupa was the first to wake up, and in a very horrible manner too. "Ack!"

Her legs ached less, but still needed healing. They were now dark red stains of a nasty pair of legs with shredded pants barely covering them. She wiped the crust off her eyes and looked upwards. A clear light was patching through to their location. "Lucky!"

She forgot she was still sleeping with the boy. "Whoa!"

"Uh?" Lucky rolled back. "J-just five more minutes, Luna..."

"Luna?" Lupa sat upright, grabbed his grazed arm delicately, and then dropped it.

"OW, MY FU-" He shot up, screaming in dire agony, caressing his arm with close protection from Lupa now. "WHY?"

"We can't afford to be sleeping in, kid. We're in the endgame, remember?" She raised an eyebrow to appeal to his priorities. She didn't need to explain to him again about what is and what needed to be stopped. He understood, but she just needed the two of them to get going in their own moves in Nnyl's game.

Lucky scratched the back of his head. Shit was fuzzy for him the night before, and very nerve-wrecking and stressful at the same time. He almost died! Lucky kid. "Oh, right. Can you stand?"

She attempted it as if she were a baby, taking her sweet time with her legs that were not giving her complete balance. They wobbled awkwardly and made her fall back down again. She broke her own fall and went back up. "Fuck!"

Lucky wasn't physically affected by anything other than a stinging arm. "Do you need help?"

"N-no... I got this," she insisted, giving off a long sigh. "Guess I have to resort to this."

"I know you said we shouldn't rely on your powers that often, but I think this counts as an emergency, wouldn't you agree?" Despite her stubbornness, the redhead went over to help her. "Come on."

"Tsk," Lupa was hesitant to receive his aid, but she gave in to it and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. It was only then that she really knew how tall he was. "Fucking sigh..."

"I'd need to go back home to call the others and request a pick-up," he told her.

"Huh? But didn't they take all their phones? I don't-"

"No, yeah, but they've got a house phone, too. As in, one that's shaped like a macaroni piece, and-"

Lupa knew which type. "Ah, yeah. Classic Loud style, no doubt. You know how to use one?" After asking, she found herself to be laughing. "Or is it too retro for your taste?"

"Ha, very funny. I know how to operate one. Now..." Lucky raised his good arm high. "Take me away, Supergirl!"

"Ew, I'd never look good in blue and red! And not even a cape!" Lupa stuck her tongue out to her side, making a disgusted face. "None of those comics have ever been read, actually. Lincoln was more of a Batman fan, actually."

"Batman..." He rolled his eyes. "Of course."

Lupa lifted them off the ground with one arm. "Don't fucking move too much."

Lucky shook as if he were being tickled in a weak spot. "J-Jesus, it's still scary," he thought. "I'd rather ride a rollercoaster."

"Have you even _been_ in a rollercoaster before?" Lupa asked as they were halfway up the caved-in hole. Linka's remains were visible, and Lupa scatter at the sight. She quickly looked away, no longer wanting to see it again. And it would be the last time she'd see Linka again. Sadly.

After they reached ground level, Lucky took Lupa into his arms and broke into a jog. "We really don't want to blow this, do we?"

Lupa was blushing uncontrollably as she let herself be carried by him. Actually, it was also the first time, too. "G-good Lord..." She let slip as she looked up at his face.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I mean, yes! Yes of course!" She bit her lip in her own silliness. Nothing like a guy carrying you to make you feel more girly and delicate, am I right, Lupa?

"Oh, by the way, when this is all over..." He sounded serious, and Lupa brought herself back into focus. "You owe me another pair of pants."

Lupa opened her mouth and hissed. "NOOO! THIS IS NNYL'S DOING! PUT IT ON HER TAB!"

"But she didn't take it to begin with," he smiled with a laugh.

"WELL, YOU-" Lupa rolled her eyes up. "You borrow some tacky clothes, and you'll never hear the end of it. Oh yeah, you really are Lori's kid."

"Tacky? I'll have you know I have taste!" He had just jogged two blocks.

"I don't think we have the same tastes at all. Just..." Lupa went redder after setting her arms around his neck. "I'm gonna close my eyes and not at all remember where I am... Tell me when you get there."

 **Later**

"We're here," the teen announced, arriving at the sunny, beautiful house he knew all too well.

"B-but wait, my last line is just above yours! I didn't even have time to shut my eyes!" Lupa unlocked herself from him and dropped to her feet. Big mistake. "Ow, ow, fuck me in the puhhh- Ahh, G-God..."

"Whoa, take it easy, Lupa!" Lucky cautioned.

Lupa had bent her knees, wiggling around her legs. "My goddamn legs..."

"Do you need some-"

"No!" Lupa limped up the pathway and made slow steps on the porch. She punched the air in front of her, breaking in the white door right in. She tripped after that, loaing composure after the harmless punch. No breaking the fall this time. "Shit!"

Lucky stretched out over to her, but Lupa held a hand directly behind, telling him to back down. "I'm not gonna rely on help for everything. When I'm in the battlefield..." She pushed herself back up. "I am not going to count on you to be my crutches. That's what it means..."

 _Perfect head shot, never get up._

She centered her feet in a perfect stance.

 _Bleed out from a missing arm gets you out._

She grit her teeth, hands tightening into fists. If there was any way to push herself, at any given time, it would be right fucking now. Lupa was not weak, and the death of Linka should not have been goving her second thoughts. That was the point of Lucky's whole speech down the hole. He was right, despite being a teenager. Lori. He truly was Lori's kid. She'd have to thank him again eventually... If she ended up walking away with her life.

"I am..." Lupa broke into a run, and with the aching pain of her scraped legs, she made it. Made it to the back porch and stopped right in the middle, smiling greatly with high confidence and a stance that shouted to the world that she was- "Strong!"

Lucky stared in amazement, hoping that Lupa wouldn't fall again, especially after she chose to ignore the remainder of the healing process. He smiled when it was realized that she defeated the obstacle that was the painful struggle to merely walk. "There it is..."

"Phew..." Lupa had a handle on her nice legs. "So, where's the phone?"

Lucky pointed up. "Luna's room," he answered.

"Before you go..." Lupa had a strange occurence in her mind. "I, um..." She twiddle her pinkies together, blushing all over again. "Had you ever, uh..."

Lucky had just taken a first step up the staircase. A hand at the railing, and standing frozen to see what Lupa was going on about, he asked, "Hmm? Ever what?"

"Look... I don't want to die there, but if it goes south..." She exhaled with a down face. "I want some d-dick from someone before I get going..." Her cheeks were fully visible to him, and in turn, he returned the notion, and with an open mouth to.

Realistically, the chances of dying was half-and-half, maybe less. Lupa accepted it but would give ir her all. But it didn't mean a success in her part. A final parting gift should her destiny be death at the hands of Nnyl or the Agency.

"You're saying y-you want me to-?" Lucky wasn't completely sure if she meant that she wanted him to be the one, seeing as how they were blood related.

Lupa did mean it, and raised finger, seductively, but without a smile, motioning him to come forward. He would be the last person she'd be riding hard, but under the circumstances, and the fast-closing windows, choices were limited, and there was no time to really seek someone else out. At least she knew him, and not some random stranger instead.

Lucky was feeling more weirded out than uncomfortable at Lupa's sudden advances. He would have probably denied her if not for the embarrassing bulge in his pants, suggesting that he probably did want it, or at the very least, winded up thinking about it.

Then, Lupa did end up taking a notice at the boner trying to pop out of his pants, and formed a cocky smile (LOL) back at him.

Lucky looked back outside. The door was busted in, meaning people might wander in out of curiosity. That or just look inside while passing by. Looking inside and see them go at it if, or when, they would. "M-maybe in my room?" He suggested with a stutter.

It wasn't even long until Lupa had her way with the boy, pushing him right onto his bed. "You know what? I think I change my mind-" He tried to get up, having a change of heart, but was pushed right back down.

"Shut up and give me your dick," Lupa forcibly begged. She had stripped off his pants and tossed them away. "What have we got here?"

Lucky had boxers of a plain white color. The buldge was still visible, and Lupa winked down at it. "O-oh, my God..."

Lupa tugged the boxers off, and then went for her own shredded ones.

Both naked from the hips down, Lupa climbed over him and aligned her womanhood with his developing manhood. She made the deal happen, and was now beginning to ride him. She pressed her hands over his chest, thrusting herself back and forth while feeling the teenage meat wiggle around with such satisfactory results inside of her.

Lucky was enjoying his first ever experience himself, mainly because he couldn't deter the good from bad, but hey, he wasn't doing anything much but laying down and getting the Lu-pussy. He closed his eyes and started moaning. And that gave Lupa the feeling that she was still just as good as back then.

Lucky led his hands right on Lupa's hips. "F-faster," he dared to say.

Lupa, who had lifted her head back in pleasure, retracted a hand and slapped the source of good dick. "Don't ruin the moment."

Lucky lifted his hands off of her, but Lupa kept them locked back on her waist. "You're sending mixed signals..."

"Quiet and..." She exhaled. "Let me..." And again. "Finish."

Lucky focused his eyes on her chest. And went for it.

Lupa allowed the teenager to fondle with her breasts, and decided to give him the full experience by removing her shirt. "Get some, big boy..."

And Lucky was damn close to tugging away at her bra, if not for the sudden rumble that shook the house, followed by a crash in the backyard. "What was that?!"

Lupa got off and stumbled away from the room, quickly putting back on her shirt. "Contact!"

"Hold on!" Lucky jumped out of bed and put on his boxers and pants.

The backyard had an uninvited guest in the form of a cylinder-shaped eight-foot metallic object that created a dirt mess around it. Lupa had adjusted one of Lily's blue skirts onto herself and brandished a kitchen knife at neck level in front of her. "What kind of Twilight Zone shit is this?"

Lucky was looking out through Luna's window, eyeing the object. "Hey, be careful! That... That could be a spaceship for all we know!"

Didn't look like a meteor, so it definitely wasn't those shiny chrome-head things. But it was something out of a sci-fi movie alright. Lupa made a few steps closer, until the cylinder object whirred and hissed, letting off some steam at the bottom of it. The white smoke then concealed the large thing within it. Maybe it was a spaceship.

"Jesus-" Lupa yelped, pulling even more back when it began to open up. A dark entryway made for a human got Lupa believing that it wasn't a spaceship at all. From inside, she did see and hear sometging moving. "Hey, you in there!"

"Lupa!" Lucky was worried a Xenomorph would attack and kill Lupa.

"I was just getting lucky!" She told whatever passengers were inside, and drew the knife closer to the ship.

"Really?" Lucky asked from above. "That was a lame use of my name."

A hand emerged from the doorway of the ship. "Oh? Did I interrupt actual sexual intercourse? So terribly sorry, miss... Uhh..." Out came a man in a special black and purple jumpsuit, an odd spectacle for Lupa. So maybe it wasn't an alien. Bummer for her to not kill something that cockblocked her.

The man, a young one with some facial hair, and was definitely older than Lucky, but looked to be less than thirty. Short brown hair, and a medium muscular build made Lupa consider blowing him instead. She wanted to ask his size, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Like, who he was, and what he was doing here.

Lupa took back the knife from the air, holding it firmly right at him. "I'll be asking the questions around here, lumberjack."

"Say, I've noticed you have white hair on you. Does that mean you're related to Lincoln Loud?"

"Eh? You knew Lincoln Loud?" Weird... He had never met this fellow before, otherwise she'd be remembering his face.

"Oh yeah, dude! I've met the whole family, and..." The facial haired man noticed his surroundings. "This isn't the house... Where- Where am I?"

Lupa had suspicions of the guy, and hadn't lowered her knife. "What's that behind you?"

The man turned back around to the machine. "What, this? It's an ODT."

Lupa's head went in three directions, trying to figure out the acronym. She scratched and shook her head. "Uh, I'll bite. What is an ODT?"

"It's an... Omni-Dimensional...-" The man was surely distracted by the surroundings. "Uh... Is this Royal Woods?"

"We're not even in Michigan, pal. Who are you, and where did you come from?" Lupa waved the knife more clearly at him, directly threatening him.

"Ah! Where are my manners?" The strange man placed a hand over his chest. "I'm Chris. Short for Christian."

"B-but it's short for...-" Lupa let her shoulders drop, and began to retract the knife. "Never mind, go on."

Lucky had come down with a broom in his hands. "What's the word, Lupa?"

"Christian here's come from Far Away Land, looking for the Loud family." Lupa faced him. "Hate to tell you, but you're off by twenty three years."

Christian was puzzled. "Twenty three years? Wait, that can't be right! Last I checked it was 2028. I'm sorry, what- Uh... What year is this?"

Lupa just gave Lucky the "What the fuck?" look. She got back a raised eyebrow from the kid in return. "It's the thirty-nine. If you're here to find the Louds, you've come in the wrong time."

Just when things couldn't get anymore bad, a blue portal had opened up right beside Lupa and Lucky, and out came Lynn and the rest of the Loud gang. Only Lynn was the one in crutches at the moment, while the others seemed to be fine.

"Lupa! It's you! Who do you think you are-" Lynn started shouting.

"Hey, who's this guy?" Lana noticed the buff man in the weird suit. "And... Hey, what is that?"

Everyone just looked to each other, giving off surprised and confused expressions. Lupa just scoffed at what retardation was transpiring here. "Here, these are the Louds, Chris. Talk to them."

Lupa took Lucky's hand and tried to flee from the scene with him.

"Hey, hey, you get back here!" Lynn tried to follow the clone. "Where is Linka? Lupa, where is Linka?!"

Lupa had reached the sliding screen by then, but stopped at the mention of the dead girl's name. She winced angrily at the name, and let go of Lucky. She stood frozen, letting Lynn catch up to her.

The injured speedster clamped with her crutches on the porch with a thud and an angry expression on her face. "You're both coming back to the Agency!"

"Aunt Lynn-" Lucky had the good mind to warn her about what was planned for the lot of them, but Lupa silnced him with a hand laid on his shoulder. "Huh?"

"Lynn..." Lupa whispered in a calm state. She drew herself and moved up to Lynn, and took a deep inhale. And the clone swiped the crutches from her, making the injured woman fall face forward. Lucky broke her fall, crying in shock.

"Lupa!" Lynn yelled. "You'll pay!"

The angry clone went back inside without giving Lynn a piece of her mind this time. Words... We're over.

"Lucky! Y-you know, right? Is Linka here? Those two have a lot to answer for-"

"She's dead," he blatantly shot out loud enough for the others to hear.

"What? L-Linka-" Lynn wasn't letting it sink in that quickly. Linka was an unkillable force of nature of epic proportions. It couldn't be. Lynn looked to the porch underneath her. "W-when?"

Lucky gasped at something, and then looked at the others. "So, you guys caught wind of Linka busting out, huh?"

"We did, so we've come here on a hunch, and sure enough...-" Lynn shook her head. "I... I wasn't expecting her to...-"

Lily closed her eyes, dismayed at the news. "Not Linka..."

Luan and Lana both lightly pressed a hand each on Lily's shoulders, remaining quiet with the latest update of death.

"H-how did...-?" Lynn had an educated guess already, but there was no way it could have been. Not the clone. No way. No-

"It was Nnyl..." Lucky didn't need to share that he led her to Linka and Lupa. Did it even matter to? It was bigger than that, and understanding the enormity, he kept shut. "She killed Linka."

It was almost like Lynn skipped over what Nnyl had done to Luna. Hearing the clone do something so unbelievably horrifying for the first time. Only... It wasn't the first time. "There's no way... Why is she trying to hurt us?"

And everyone there forgot about the man known as Chris. "Uhh... I must be in the incorrect coordinates..." He went back inside his advanced machine, trying to start it up again. Something was wrong. "Oh, no..."

The three generators supplying the machine's battery life had been completely used up. He was stuck in... Wherever this was. "Aw, shit."

* * *

 **AN: Okay, welcome new guy. An OC belonging to a good sir named Pixel Cat, for those who've lurked long enough on Tumblr. Said person does have only one fic where that OC mysteriously ends up in the Loud House world and meets the gang we all know in love. Well, I guess I would say this is the future epilogue of that fic, Lost N Loud. Considering this (obviously) won't be canon to it, that fic is one fic that will elude the Loudiverse.**

 **Bonus points if you have read it.**


	29. Crisscross, Part Two

**July 20th, 2039**

Lana had made two wooden stakes and placed them side-by-side, at the end of the backyard. She, Lily and Luan huddled around them, honoring both Luna and Linka. No time to set these up back in their old hometown, especially when they couldn't have Luna's body, and Linka's was in many pieces, crushed and twisted alike.

As they realized that death had come again, Luan and Lana found themselves to be afraid of Nnyl, and the unknown that the clone was bringing on the table. "I hope they catch her," Luan prayed.

"They will," Lana believed. "And when Lynn finishes healing up those legs of her, she's going to find and capture Nnyl."

"Didn't they say she'd be able to be back on her feet by today?" Lily recalled from the diagnosis of the med team.

"She should have had her bones recuperated already. Her healing factor must be slowing down, and it must be the same for me." Lana wiggled a leg back and forth. "Although I don't plan on assisting her, even if it calls for my help to be needed."

Luan and Lily gave each other concerned looks. Lana had indeed broken her silent vow to not use her speed again, and ended up saving her sisters for the greater good. Like then, now was certainly a good time to put it to use again. "Are you sure?"

"Lana, Lynn might not be-" Lily started.

"It's her and the Agency against one person! They have the tools to stop a pheno, and I believe in them! They don't need me, you two!"

Despite Lana having broken her own silent vow of never running, she was still being stubbornly persistent on trying anew. Anew for Lola.

"But, last time, Lana! Last time you did-"

"That was different! You were all in the face of danger! We're not as much here... We just have to go into hiding." Lana turned away from them and left them at the graves. "Believe in Lynn."

Back inside, Lynn was attending to their unexpected guest. She had trouble trying to serve the man any type of food or beverage, so she just offered him to get anything he craved from the kitchen, but all he was quenching for was water, and was chugging sips down from a water bottle.

She had sat across from him at the rectangular shaped table, with her crutches leaning diagonally against her lap. She was in an awkward stare-down with Christian, looking onto him wordlessly. Finally...

"So, umm..." She got the story already, and was still processing it. "You come here looking for the Louds, because you've met them once before, and now that you found us, what comes next?"

He shook his head, tapping his fingers on the surface. "Yeah, I tried to travel between dimensions- I'm sorry, but you say you don't remember me, right?"

Lynn shook her head. "No, sorry. I've never met a Christian before in my life."

Apparently his story was that he once woke up in Royal Woods, Michigan, almost suffering from hypothermia on a winter's day. Right in the Loud residence to be exact, and as he tried to get bsck home, Lisa had made the logical discovery that he was not in his own world. He stayed in with the rest of the family, until Lisa constructed a machine and sent him back home six months later.

From then on, he, who had kept the machine hidden away somehow only God knew, had decided to repay them a visit, using some instructions Lisa had handed to him before leaving. Only it seemed he fucked up and entered a different Loud earth. It had to be it.

Lynn was skeptical of all of this, but if she knew one thing, the idea of the multiverse existed, and he claimed to know much about her. She thought about testing him to make sure the story was authentic, but his eyes did not present a hostile look at all. He was more confused and lost, trying to break away from her eyes.

"Oh... Then I suppose I'm not in the right place. Quite a predicament..." He dashed his eyes around, before circling back to Lynn. To him, she didn't seem weirded out of lost when he explained the science behind it. "This isn't shocking for you?"

"No- Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting a civilian from another world to be dropping in... But no, I'm not that shocked at all."

"Oh... Then I guess that means you've must've seen your fair share of things, or maybe you just really keep an open mind."

Lynn laughed to herself. "Open mind... Right." She pointed to the backyard. "What happens now?"

"I replace the batteries and try to get back home, see what I did wrong."

"Batteries? What kind would those be?" Lynn asked.

"Three generators power the machine every time it's used once," he informed. "A waste of money on my end if I decide to travel many times."

"Gen-" Lynn scratched her head. "So... You really did meet versions of us, didn't you?"

"Yeah..." He began to recount some great times with the Louds when they were kids. He played with the younger faction around that time, and Lori and Leni were the ones who saw it it that they shift his dress code, and wound up taking him to the mall to get some new clothes. His credit card had declined due to him not at all existing on their earth, so Leni covered it with the goodness of her heart.

Leni was the one who he felt was the most selfless and thoughtful girl of the bunch. Sad to say he was bummed out when Lynn told him that not just Leni, but more than half of the Loud kids have been dead for some time now, and Lynn pointed out to the graves that Luna had joined the fallen.

"Luna was the one I fell in love with..." The man admitted with a depressing tone. "I'm sorry..."

Lynn found reason to laugh. "Don't be silly! This isn't the Luna you knew anyway, so don't be so down. We do have one generator in out basement, and as for the other two, there's a store that has those close by here."

For someone who had just lost a pair of family members, and was still semi-crippled, Lynn sure was feeling upbeat right now. Maybe she just simply forgot the status of the situation.

"Oh, that's cool! Uh, thank you for that!" Christian was still curious how it played out here, but he wasn't one to pry, purely out of not wanting to disrespect them. Besides, Lynn did say it; this was not at all the alternate earth he once found himself on all those yesrs ago. Maybe he could still get to the right one. Damned if he didn't try.

"No problem, I'll have Lana lead you to the store. And speak of the girl-" Lana had wandered in hust as Lynn mentioned her name.

"What's this about being a guide?" She questioned Lynn.

"The man here, Christian, needs two generators for his machine out there causing a disturbance in our yard. Could you just show him the way?" Lynn lifted herself from the seat and hoisted herself up on her crutches.

"Yeah, I guess I can," she agreed, escorting Christian to the front door.

Lynn went to the backyard again, hearing the faint sound of the door closing behind her. From the porch, she inspected the huge machinery that looked to be the equivalent size of a fitting room, for sure definitely bigger than a photo booth. "Wow..."

"This thing is pretty huge," Lily said in amazement, circling the ODT. "What is this, a time machine?"

"It's an omelet something... I don't know, big words still make my head spin," Lynn shamefully said.

"Try an Omni-Dimensional..." Lupa was floating down from the back window as if she were Mary Poppins. "I don't know what the T stands for, the hairy beast cut himself off."

Luan and Lily regrouped with Lynn at the porch, and Lupa just leaned on the side of the wall.

"Why did you come here?" Lynn dared asked, turning to her direction. "We were told you abandoned Linka when the Agency captured her. So, what happened in between then and now? Where were you?"

Lupa half-closed her eyes and set hands on her waist. "We clones have to stick together, same as you girls! I busted her out only to be ambushed by your goddamn clone!" She raised a hand, with Lynn believing she would attack further this time, causing her to stutter back. But Lupa lowered it back down, having no intention to waste her time. "Pathetic shit. If I were you I would have killed myself."

"L-Lupa!" Luan cried out. "That is way out of line!"

"Lupa, there's no need for harsh words," Lily added in. "Lynn shouldn't be responsible for her creation!"

"And she's not!" Lucky, who had finished a nice hot shower, right after Lupa, was already finished, and he had reset his attire to be one of a light-blue sweater with brown taking up at the top of it" followed by gray sweatpants. A style meant more for a cold winter's day, but not today. This was the best he could do. "I'm sorry for not coming back yesterday-"

"Which you still have explaining to do!" Lynn exclaimed.

"-But I had some good reason. Aunt Lynn, p-please forgive me, but-"

Lupa stepped in. "The Agency created Nnyl as part of a cover to exterminate all phenos. I guess everything that has been happening has been working in their favor, including the attack by those guys who came here. They needed to blame someone, and you guys are going to take the fall."

"Wh-what? What?! What nonsense are you saying now?!" Lynn threw one of her crutches at Lupa, but it only landed at the latter's feet.

"Aunt Lynn, we've come here to call and warn you. This is serious... We know where the pheno training base is, but the Agency plans to have them subjected to mind control."

Luan and Lily were giving off gasps as Lynn just shook her head in denial. "N-no, I know these guys, they'd never-"

"Shut up for one fucking second!" Lupa barked.

"Ummm..." Lucky cleared his throat. "I had it all. I had files I stole from the Agency before I went out 'for a walk'." He used air quotation marks for that.

"You... What?!" Lynn was triggered.

Lucky waved his hands around in front of him. "No, no, I mean yeah I did just that, but- Nnyl, she found me, I don't know h-how but-"

"She made him lead us into a fucking ambush!" Lupa jumped and soared towards them, now making the porch less vacant. "I can't... Sigh, I can't blame anyone for that, so..."

And Lucky and Lynn ended up getting slapped by Lupa.

"But long story short, the fuckers planned to unleash their mindless phenos in Royal Woods and cause a destruction just so they can go in themselves and kill all phenos, ending the super threat once and for all." Lupa looked to the yard, and then up to the blue sky. "If that isn't fucking enough..."

"Aunt Lynn, Nnyl knows about this now. She wants to take control over the phenos and carry their plan on her own way. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, but it will be soon. W-we're all in danger-" He gagged, feeling anxious and shuddering at the thought of losing, dying to someone he didn't know about weeks ago. The boy was shaking away.

Lynn was letting it sink in. "N-no, I'm one of the best! I'm one of their best soldiers-"

"And that's probably _why_ they did it in the first place," Lupa stated bluntly. "You're just too good in their eyes. Maybe everyone who knew about Lynn Loud working with close officials has put the fear of God into them. Don't forget that the world thinks bad of phenos."

Lynn gulped, with the audience just looking on without a word. "It c-can't be like that! Y-you're lying, they would never-" But she did think about it, and it began to shift into that truth. That's why they weren't trusting of her, why she hadn't much clearance and access to certain confidentials within the Agency; she would be the only one who would rebel and stand against them, what with her own speed power being a thorn on their side when she defected. And she would have for sure.

"Wouldn't they?"

Nnyl's growth rate, it was an inexplicable side effect Lynn had been told was not anticipated. Or, so she thought, seeing that Nnyl would die eventually meant they didn't have anything to worry about. "If what you're saying is true, then Nnyl- Lynnette was created just to kill all the phenos we didn't have captured. They programmed her, and those flaws... This monster she is, it's what they wanted her to be."

"No..." Lupa corrected. "She was just like you, but they got into her head, Lynn. They molded her into a murderer, and one who wants to kill us all. And she will, as well as the Agency now that she knows."

"Oh, my God..." Lynn went down on her knees.

Lucky tended to her. "Auny Lynn, don't stress... We have thought of a counterattack ourselves-"

"Yourselves?!" Luan protested. "Oh, no! No way I'm going to have my nephew go out and risk his life fighting this... This evil clone!"

"Luan is right," Lily defended. "Lucky, there's no reason you need to throw yourself out there! It's dangerous to be even saying such things! Think about it, what would Luna want for you?"

"B-but..." Lucky pointed away at them, and then behind at Lupa.

"Lynn isn't going to be able to act on her own without raising eyebrows back at the Agency," Lupa put in. "Just by Lucky being here, is it already that risky. I'm going to Royal Woods, and Lucky will supply me with the technology that I'll need to fight off the phenos from within the Agency. Look, I'm gonna need one of your phones." Lupa raised an arm and waved her fingers in and out.

"Aunties, please trust us-"

Luan shook her head in disbelief. "No! I can't allow you to join Lupa, even if this is really going to happen like you say it will! I don't want you to jump into the battlefield!"

"And he won't be, he'll be helping me from the sidelines."

Lynn sighed, both annoyed and vulnerable to the core. "This isn't your fight! Lupa, Lucky, you two should not have to be the ones to try and take upon the army of phenos by yourself! Okay, suppose you do, then what? Don't forget the Agency and Nnyl are still going to be around! Are you strong enough to take on the likes on her?! Are you smart enough to take them all on?!"

They met face-to-face even more closer than before now. Lupa was daring to defy Lynn the same way just as Linka had been defying Luna. Their faces were made of stone, locked into a death glaze. Lily and Luan turned away from not being able to handle the intensity of the heat emitted from their auras.

"I knew the risks, same as you," the clone shared. "I'd give my life for the boy I've gotta protect."

"That boy with the headband, right?" Lynn faintly remembered Lemy. "I know what she did to you, so spare me the recap, but that does not make her your responsibility! She's been mine and mine alone! You and Linka-"

"Pity your sob story! I have more than a bone to pick with that blonde in an ugly green suit!"

"Lupa-!"

"Your mission has changed, Lynn! You're going to have to kill Nnyl if you want to see this through to the end! But you can't, because..." Lupa began laughing. "They've got eyes and a leash on you. You can't make a move on your own, and when they decide to deploy you to Royal Woods, it'll be too late for you to even prevent shit."

Lynn listened.

"They'll just send you in so you can be killed, and these sisters here," Lupa faced Luan and Lily, "They'll get the guillotine."

"I can't- I can't leave you in charge of this!" Lynn was reluctant to leave everything to Lupa, considering the enormity of the new situation. "It's too much! You can't do it all by yourself-"

"It may be a suicide mission, and I've accepted I might just die, but I'll die trying to save you guys, save my Lemy, and avenge my town by killing Nnyl! That's what I really care about, and you won't stop me from getting close to her!"

Lynn broke her composure and was awed by Lupa's resolve. "Y-you're really persistent to go, aren't you?"

Lupa stepped back from smelling Lynn's breath. "I'm the only one who can go in undetected. Nnyl thinks me and Lucky are dead, and the Agency guys don't know where I am, and it's gonna stay that way, right?" She squinted away at Lynn, who in turn just tilted her head down to the side and exhaled.

"I guess I have no say in this... As much as I don't like it-" Lynn lifted a foot of hers an inch off the ground and wobbled it. "What can I do? I'm just as useful as my legs allow me to be."

"That's easy. You just stay put at the Agency up until they inform you about Royal Woods. They might've not even expected Nnyl to take over their operation by force." Lupa scratched her head. "I want to go to the training base but I'm going to be met with too much security over there, especially with Nnyl having attacked-"

Lynn was not at all one with the highest IQ. "D-does that mean that it was them who released her? Was it them behind her whole change?!"

Lupa raised her shoulders. "Don't know, don't care."

"Th-those evil fiends..." Lynn thrusted her hands on the planks beneath her. "If only I was fast enough... I don't like this one bit..."

"L-Lupa, is it possible you can win? That you can stop Nnyl and the phenos in her control? That is to say that she succeeds in that too, will you stop them?" Luan had developed a sparkling glaze of deadening concern for the safety of the family, as well as the countless innocents who were bound to become tangled up in the malevolent agendas that were anything but in the eyes of the rest of the world. "Y-you will, right?"

Lupa crossed her arms and bobbed her head down. "Royal Woods is going to turn into a war zone, and that's because I'm not going to try and rescue them at all. There's... There's going to be death, and I'm not a rescue party..."

It only worked to petrify the girls, and Lucky scraped his shoes against the ground.

"Lupa..." Luan found a hidden silver of courage to speak from deep within her mind. "You are going to succeed!"

This took Lynn by surprise. "Huh?"

"I may not always like having you around-"

"Tch!" Lupa cried out.

"-But if you can carry out this counterattack-"

"L-Luan!" Lily was appalled that Luan was reluctantly supporting Lupa's strategy. "No, dang it!"

Luan winced with a hint of anger, facing Lily. "No, I know, Lily! I hate this just as much as you do, but someone has to do something!"

Lynn shook her head in disbelief. Someone indeed had to, but it wasn't going to be her by the sound of things. Not with the invisible leash she had around her neck. "You stubborn fool..."

It was three against two as of yet.

"You're going to get yourselves killed! Is that what you want?!" Worrying for Lupa at a time like this; what a day this turned out to be. "Why do you think it's okay for you to be the one to do this?!"

Lupa just looked away, ready for the lecture of burdens again.

"Well?" Lynn raised up and pressed a crutch to Lupa's chest.

"You should know why," the clone coldly answered, knocking the long object from her boobs. "It's in my blood."

Of course, it was to be expected from Lupa. Lynn found it amusing. "You're a real stubborn fool alright."

"Does that mean you'll allow me to finish this for you?" Lupa smirked with content.

"Yes... Sadly. I bet you need a portal to Royal Woods, right?"

"Damn right I do," she let out with high confidence. "I'll be sure to save some scraps for you."

"Just lay off on the bloodshed, got it?"

Lupa just raised her hands, as if she was mostly innocent at the scene. "Me? I'd never!"

Everyone coughed, suggesting otherwise.

"No guarantees, okay?" Lupa then kicked herself off the ground. "I'll remain here and wait for the portal. It's a one-way ticket so I don't need more than one."

The looks on their faces worried them dreadfully.

"You know, just in case..."

Lana popped up from the corner of the house and greeted them. "Hey, Lupa? Need your help with making the generators lighter, if you don't mind."

"Uhh, sure thing," she accepted, being led away to the front of the house by Lana.

"Lucky... D-do you believe in Lupa?" Lynn asked deeply.

The roles changed. Less than an hour ago, it was Lynn whom the sisters believed would be the one to stop the calamitous foe that was of her own blood. It changed so dramatically, but that wasn't to say they lost their faith in Lynn. It just had to be rerouted to be of Lupa's own, mostly. Lupa was going to do it, while Lynn had to be a spectator lying in wait for the call. No way she would act on their own until the guarantee that her family was safe would come to light.

She'd have to wait.

"I do, and I'm on board with her plan, because if anything..." He had their attention, a nice change-up for once. No longer was he just a lousy teenager who was lazy and lost. "I owe it to Linka."

* * *

 **AN: The plan is now known by the whole lot. Lupa better be getting to Royal Woods fast, while the gang return to the Agency. The big battle approaches, and before you know it, the day will come.**


	30. Crisscross, Conclusion

**July 20th, 2039**

"It's done!" The replacement process wasn't so hard after all; the man known as Christian, in a strangely unfamiliar jumpsuit that he didn't bother to get out of, probably from lack of clothes underneath, was ready to get the hell out of dodge. And he had the girl with Lincoln's hair and an abnormal display of a supernatural power to thank for that. "Thanks a lot, uhhh..."

Lupa hadn't introduced herself properly to him, and she wouldn't. "Don't sweat it, hair."

She admired the odd machine up close, giving it a physical inspection.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's the story behind that?" He asked like if it was casual.

"You've got some nerve to ask me that, considering we don't know each other," Lupa said bluntly, before breaking face and laughing.

"Hey, I'm just curious is all," he chuckled. "Guilty as charged."

Lupa took a seat on one of the two defunct generators, motioning him to sit with her. "It's complicated if I tell you everything." She brought a palm facing upwards, and began to stroke her wrist gently. "Lynn said you've met the entire household when they were kids?"

"Yeah, I did," he answered.

"Then you know Lisa, right? She gifted-" Actually, Lupa had never gotten there yet. The question whether this telekinesis was a gift that aided her in many events from then to now, or a curse that acted as a mere mark telling Lupa that she was never meant to be who she now is. "She gave me this, I mean."

"What? Really?!" He went into a fanboy mode. "Oh, that's so cool, dude! I'd love to have something similar, too!" He had a thought. "Wait a minute, do-do the others have the same powers? Oh, my good God..."

Lupa was baffled in the bad sense. "Wait, now hold on-"

"S-superheroes?"

"We're not in My Hero Academia!"

"My what?"

Lupa made her stone-cold face. "Seriously?"

"But, that..." Christian looked to the graves. "Oh... I see..."

Lupa was a little amazed that he figured it out just by showing him her power. He wasn't surprised, shocked, not in the neutral sense. His mind was open, no doubt. Open, but also nerdy about it, she felt. It made enough sense, considering he came in a contraption straight out of a futuristic Call of Duty game.

"I know one is Luna's grave, but who's... I'm sorry if I disrespect you in any way, but-"

"You can speak freely around me, bucko, unless you're talking cup size, then I won't hear it."

"Uhhh... He made an effort to avoid looking below her neck. "Thanks, I guess."

Lupa focused her attention to the stakes. "You're right about me being related to Lincoln Loud when we met. I guess you can say he's my father, but he had four of us in total. The keyword was had..." Lupa set her hands to fold over her chest. "They're... All dead now."

The wind's internal breeze kicked up to a higher degree, giving Lupa an unexpected, untouchable audience. The hedges that separated the other yards danced away, going back and forth just enough to produce music, a symphany for the dead mentioned. Dead... And Linka was the recent one to join the lot. "I'm the only one left..."

Lupa wasn't exactly great with emotions, but she made it clear this meant a great deal to her.

"Oh, I'm very sorry for your loss." He followed the unwritten protocol of giving a moment of silence. "What was her name?"

"Linka. As for the other two, they were named Lacy and Liby."

"Oh? An ongoing name tradition, as I thought. I like those names. Say, I still don't know yours."

Lupa shrugged her shoulders. "Does it matter?" She looked back to the house. "You're not the only one who's new here. It's my second time being in this house, and I've not seen these guys in years. None of us are supposed to be here by the look of things."

"I don't know about you of course, but... If it happened, it did for a reason, right?"

She could have outed her shit to him, explained what exactly brought her here. Grimmtown, the new clone, and the journey to avenge those Nnyl killed, as well as to pinch her lights out permanently. Lemy. Linka. Everyone. If she didn't... "You're right about that."

"Aren't you wondering why? Out of all places and times for me to show up, I did so here."

"For me, it's cause I had a streak of bad luck recently. Nothing more than that."

"Not a believer of God up there, are you?" His head redirected to the skies up there.

"If God is real, then my life would not be in complete fucking turmoil right now. My sisters would be alive, or maybe..." She closed her eyes. "Maybe I would have never been born to begin with."

"Whoa there, that's... Dark."

"Because it's damn true." She opened her eyes again, and three feet ahead of her, whether it was an illusion or not, she saw them again. Liby and Lacy were there, smiling their perfect smiles as the sunlight hit over the figures, and Lupa squinted in denial. Her mind was likely to have been playing that trick on her. They didn't move, only maintaining the happiness they gave off for her to see.

And Lupa blinked. Gasped when they were gone. They were gone, just like that.

"I'll leave you to it, bucko." Lupa gave the dude a pat on his shoulder and left him sitting.

"See you, I suppose." He thought he knew what she meant, but didn't fuck up his gears in overthinking. This alternate version of the Louds was so broken, so dead in nature, it was hard not to miss it at all. A dead version of someone he fell in love with in his teen years, that was awkward and tough on the spot. He didn't think of the possibilities in which tragedy befell them. If he were in the right earth that housed him for awhile, what would be come to find?

He felt a little hopeless now. At least now he was certain where to go from here on out.

Lupa took to the roof and remained perched, sitting over the brick shingles, observing the man get up and go over to the graves.

"Pretty lame, right?" Came the unfamiliar voice that belonged to the late Linka Loud. It definitely caught Lupa by surprise. "She got me, sis. The bitch got me."

Lupa thought she had, by then, cracked massively. "You're not real."

"What does being real mean in a world like this, Lupa?" Linka brought her head over her knees and wrapped her arms around them.

"Go away."

"I can't, Lupa. I'm not really here, and you're right on me not even being real."

Lupa decided to ignore the illusion.

"I want to come back, Lupa. It's not fair, it's not fair at all."

Then, Lupa understood who it was she was talking to. She faced Linka with an anger expression. "It's you!"

Linka smiled as Christian looked back at Lupa with confusion. "What?"

Linka cackled immensely, and began to transform in front of Lupa. Her skin darkened, clothes and shoes shrinking into her body, which also changed into a male figure's own body. She, or the man was naked, but not at all revealing any private parts. It was just as weird and awkward as she remembered it.

"I was wondering if you remembered me!" The demon wheezed.

"I barely do..." It was a one-time thing, made to be a shitty adventure that involved a gang of vicious witches. This was during the Grimmtown years, and Lupa's infinite rage of losing her beloved sisters was the very sentiment that brought the demon to her. No need to really tell Linka about this, seeing as the supernatural world didn't affect the other main world. That, and it was truly a disturbing tale if she recalled it correctly. "It's been so long, uhh..."

"My name is still Excetum, and it shall always be."

"I don't care, dude."

Excetum dropped his jaw, showing his razor teeth to her. "Aww... You're mean!" He made a sarcastically sad face and pretend-wiped his face from the imaginary tears. "Woe is me!"

"Sorry, just not in the mood. I mean, you did just try to pretend to be my dead si-" She caught on that he had known, and he would have only known by seeing it first-hand. "Wait, hold on! H-have you been watching me the whole time?!"

"Guilty, guilty," he confessed. "Please forgive me for not revealing myself to you."

She swung at him, fist flying out into his abdomen. Whatever he was made of, it was less painful than punching him all those years ago. But she still felt that shit nonetheless. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Stop that, you're just giving me tickles," he laughed. "I take it you're mad."

"Mad doesn't even begin to cover it..." Lupa withdrew her hand. "I saved you from the witches, where's the debt you owe me?"

The demon went on his knees and began to, in a praying stance, beg for forgiveness. "Please forgive me, but I am not allowed to reveal myself to anyone who doesn't fall as my host. Even now..." He looked up at Lupa. "I cannot affiliate with you all too much like before. New host, new loyalty."

"Why did you bother coming here?"

He got back up, slithering like a snake. Maybe he didn't have bones at all in that demonic body of his. "Because I owed you one for saving me, if it's still fresh for you."

"You miserable wretch! You blew your one and only time!" Lupa was seriously infuriated with her old friend, if she could consider him one.

"Yo, Lupa!" Lucky called from the window. "What's all the shouting?"

"Hold that thought," the demon said before crawling along the shingles, like a bug. He ventured off into the side of the wall, disappearing from Lupa's view. What followed then was a girlish scream that could only come from Lucky.

"AUNT LYNN, THERE'S AN ALIEN OUTSIDE!"

Lupa let the humor sink in slowly, and found herself laughing. Maybe Lucky actually pissed himself at the sight of the entity. "Alright, enough games. Get your ass back up here."

The demon soared back up and made a villain-esque entrance back on the roof. "So, anything you want me to do? I'm not going to go away until-"

She did have something, but it was a long shot of a favor that might not end up being fulfilled. "I have a message that needs to be sent to two people..."

"Huh? Oh, I thought for sure you'd ask for my help in your little crusade against this blonde woman."

"Maggot flesh, I really wished you intervened back then, my sister-"

He turned back into Linka. "What about me, Lupa?"

"Are you going to do it or no?"

He shapeshifted back into his base form. "Very well. What are their names?"

She filled in the rest and waved goodbye to the demon just as Christian boarded back into the advanced machine. She floated back down and notified the others who were inside that their guest was leaving. Still was very awkward for most of them, but it didn't stop anyone from bailing out.

Lupa wondered if Lana had been filled in of what the new plans were after the deeper agenda hsd come to light. She got not read of her face as the others came out, even Lucky.

"You all take care now," the man from another world saluted, and vanished inside the ODT.

"Lame exit," Lupa giggled.

"I'm still surprised no one has come to investigate," Lucky thought. "You'd think we would have multiple squads at the ready for something like this."

"Maybe no one detected it?" Luan wondered. "Lynn, you surely know how they pinpoint these kinds of things, right?"

Lynn shook her head. "They're all a bunch of Lisas. I can't understand them most days."

"Lynn, you've been there for years!"

"And I usually ask them to simplify, that's how it's been for these past years for me!" Lynn was never one to keep up with Lisa when they were kids, but she couldn't have been blamed for it; Lisa was just too advanced for them all.

The familiar rumbling sound that alerted Lupa first-hand of the man's arrival had kicked off into the atmosphere again, only this time it was more louder and heavier. Lily stepped away from it to spare her sleeping baby from being exposed, entering back into the house and watching from behind the sliding glass door.

The machine rose from the ground, flashing a sparkling set of blue, red, and green colors in the center of the entrance hatch.

"I need to get me one of those," Lupa said through the sound of the thundering machine.

"What would you even do with one, Lupa?" Lynn asked.

Lupa didn't answer. She didn't need to explain herself to anyone, let alone Lynn.

They kept spectating from the porch, covering their eyes as the winds picked up to grow violently, blowing away at their clothes.

"How long does it-"

Before a storm could be created from the risen machine, it disappeared through a dark oval-shaped portal that formed around the contraption.

"That's new," Luan noticed.

The oval itself began shrinking after the ODT had left their world.

"I'm hoping no one saw that..." Lana looked around, seeing no one in the windows of the nearby houses looking over their backyard. "We're clear."

"People will probably be nosy. What's a good cover story?"

Lupa walked to the messy field, motioning to the generators. "Just say these were acting faulty. It's believable, but barely."

"Why not, right?" Lynn began to move slowly down the steps, going to the graves.

Lupa looked to the graves as well, walking to Linka's own. She stood there, like a statue, not knowing what to really say to the dead sister-clone. She bent down, laying a hand on the dirt mount and pressing it firmly.

Lynn joined her and stood in front of Luna's grave a second time. Having already spoken her final words and shed her final years, she only looked down and remained silent, going parallel with Lupa. But it was Lupa to break the silence when she stood there long enough. "You got it all down?"

"So, we all go back to the Agency, I give you a ride, and from the sound of things, Lucky will also supply you weapons and equipment from the Agency? Is that right?"

Lupa nodded once. "He's been persistent on helping, but I'm not going to let him get close to the battlefront. With that being said...-"

"It was going to be you and Linka to accomplish this together, wasn't it?"

"It was, yeah," Lupa sighed painfully.

"I still can't believe they're both gone. Lily tells me they'd usually fight at least once per week, and it got to the point it became common. I'm not at all surprised by that-" Lynn studied Lupa's face. "-And neither are you by the looks of things. I just... I can't believe they'd go before us... I honestly felt that there was something about Luna's personality that I could never achieve."

"What do you mean?" Lupa grew curious to Lynn's words.

"She's... She was more of a leader than I ever could be. It..." She raised a hand to her chest and formed it into a fist. "It could have been me to lead the Louds, be in charge. Instead..." Lynn then went on her knees, bringing herself closer to the dirt. "I ran away..."

"Tehe..." Lupa snorted hideously.

Lynn just gave her a serious look. "Don't Luan it."

"It could have been you, yeah. But Luna had her feet planted on solid ground, and she's always known what to do, even in the case of a girl who thought differently than them. Luna and Lincoln may have been related, but she wouldn't exempt him from a nice scolding if it ever called for it. You knew how she was, could you have carried out to do the same for him or Linka?"

Lynn let her hands plummet to the dirt. "I... I don't know-"

"And you never will know, but my two cents... I think you could have never done it. You said you ran, and I think you did so because you were... Still afraid."

Lynn didn't flinch or try to deny it. Her eyes just remained locked onto the earth.

"You ran from them, and not just once." Very faintly, was Lupa gathering the first memory of the time that changed the lives of the Loud family. "You and Lincoln ran, lest you forget."

"Ugh... I know... I couldn't... Face it."

"And you couldn't again, right?" Lupa wasn't trying to hit a nerve from Lynn, but was trying to make her see why she didn't, and wouldn't possibly ever, qualify to be fit as a leader. "Did you get over the fear, the paranoia, of losing them again?"

"I..." Lynn found herself stuttering at the question. "How the hell are you able to see through me?"

"It's not that hard, to be fair."

"God... I w-want to live without that- That fear that it's just going to... Repeat all over again." Lynn found herself trembling over Luna's grave, taking unsteady breaths. "It's been easier to fight than to settle down, that's why I stayed w-with the Agency."

"You should have taken that fear head on," Lupa informed. "For all you know, the others had the same fear. It's understandable, it fucked most of us up. Some... More than others."

Lynn's breathing rate increased dramatically. "I'm the suh-strongest-"

"What's that mean when you're broken underneath all that tough skin? Who are you really?"

Lynn felt sweat run down the back of her neck. She, who ran on nearly an infinite source of power, had been backed into a corner, hurt and exploited in every way possible. "Why are you torturing me?"

"If you really think that I am, then you never truly understood how it works."

"W-what?"

"You were supposed to run towards the fear, and with the others being around, you could have pushed through those worries of yours, breaking them forever. But you didn't... And I can't blame you for holding back."

"I didn't want to be weak..." Lynn saw defeat when she felt it, and that time was now. The time where she succumbed to it, again but differently. She was truly defeated in her own game. "I can't ever apologize enough for distancing myself..."

Lupa watched as Lynn laid on her side, feeling the bed of dirt touch half her face. "Luna, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not being around."

Lupa brought herself to smile when after Lynn had spoken from her heart. She definitely needed to get it out there, in the open. If only Linka was there to see Lynn grovel about, she'd likely be laughing hard. Hell, maybe she was laughing at this second, having a good time seeing Lynn now.

 _Don't worry, baby sister. I will avenge you, Luna, and the fallen. That's a promise._

And Lupa would damn try all that she could to do so. Next stop was Royal Woods, the place that would determine whether she would pass or fail the ultimate test in her ugly little life. _Well, Linka... I guess this is goodbye for now._

Only Lupa hadn't the luxury to cry.

* * *

The two were so rudely interrupted by the similar black hole-type anomaly that was initially perceived as the gate that led to other worlds. Lupa and Lynn stared up at the oval shape, believing this to be the entrance of yet another citizen in the multiverse. "Who can it be?"

"Another hairy beast who don't know what a razor is, I'm sure."

But what they were met with proved them wrong. Dead wrong.

It started with blue lightning coming out of the dark abyss, striking upon the house. The rest of the Louds had been inside at the time the lightning came as a cluster, stinging away at the house. The walls, the windows, and the roof were met with crucial strikes, damaging the house in the blink of an eye. Another strike had made it right through the porch, tearing through it and viciously coming to intrude on the residents it had found.

"Oh, no! Guys!" Lynn rushed to get up, but only succeeded to slip and fall over the grass. She was further from her crutches, but Lynn fucked it and crawled to the house with all her strength. She grew closer to the black anomaly that emitted the weird lightning. "Lily! Luan! Lana! Lucky! I'm coming you guys, I'm-"

Lupa pulled her back, taking Lynn into her arms. "Be more careful, you idiot! You might actually-"

Too late. The lightning had then begun to spiral out of control now. It hit near them, making the grass explode as if this was a Power Rangers fanfic. Not today, Saban. Dirt flew around and onto them, even on Lupa's hair. And the lightning was not merciful today; Lupa and Lynn were struck directly. At first, Lupa believed her time had come.

Cursing the gods right in that second the rampant electricity had made contacted with her, but it didn't end there. She was alive, felt alive, still able to see and feel Lynn. "Wh-whoa-"

And she and the freaked-out Lynn found themselves falling in a weird, darker atmosphere, just like the circular pit of darkness that came bearing the dreadful gifts. The flowing stream of the multiverse. And Lupa felt intensely giddy enough to shut her eyes from the incomprehensible area of endless blackness. Lynn also did the same.

And they kept their eyes shut until they fell flat into a surface. A grassy surface that they hadn't been thankful for yet.

"Lynn! Lynn, are you okay?!" Lupa sat upright and averted her eyes again. The dizziness was still active, causing her to move about abnormally. "What the hell-?"

Lynn herself had rolled on her stomach, cowering her fsce underneath her hands. "Is it over?"

"Y-yeah..." Lupa checked their surroundings, only to discover that they ended up in the backyard of a different house. No mess around to signify the arrival of Mr. Facial Hair had been made to light, speculated quickly by Lupa. "We ended up far away, Lynn!"

Lynn removed her hands and peeked out slowly. "What, where are we?!"

Lupa helped her to her feet, acting as the wounded Lynn's crutches. "I don't know... We'd better bolt from here, or-"

The garage to their left, a rectangular white building with a triangular roof, didn't seem to be vacant. The door, located on the far right-hand side of the backyard, immediately swung open, and out came a familiar face, only older.

"Hey, you!" Lacy Loud, in black shorts and a long orange jersey, was wielding the same bat she once used to beat the life out of Ronnie Anne, holding it firmly while she approached them.

Lupa dropped her guard right then and there, and raised a hand to her thought-dead sister. "L-Lacy?" She stared at the bat-wielding girl, unable to believe that she was here, alive. Alive and looking totally kick-ass like that.

Seconds later, would Lupa beckon herself to cry. "Lacy!" She exclaimed with heartfelt content, smiling away at the girl.

* * *

 **AN: Yes, I'm pushing the crossover I so dearly hinted at somewhere on this site. 2039 x Survival of the Sinner. It should have been hinted even before I mentioned this would be the case. T** **he final chapters of 2026 and Survival, both posted on Christmas, had a clear connection and this is it; Liby, Lacy and Lincoln lived in Survival so that they could die in 2026, and while Lupa and Lynn ended up dying in Survival, they were left alive in 2026. If anyone has caught that, then you have a good eye for these things. Yes, Lynn and Lupa were always destined to come to this world, where their loved ones are safe and sound, which I aimed for, should I have written this sequel.**

 **That and, "Lincoln was used as a plot device, he did nothing", had a hand in it. Let me address that. I made it clear that he and Lynn had the same views on the kids and what they meant to the pair, so to explain what Lincoln felt would have been just a repeat of Lynn's views. I thought that was clear that what Lynn thought, he did too, but apparently not since I have received that angle as the only issue with it. Well, primarily, I mean.**

 **Yes, we will finally get to see how older Lacy, Liby, and Lincoln fare after all these years. It'll be beautiful, it'll be sad, it'll be...**

 **Meanwhile... Where did the other Louds end up in? HAHAHAHAHA, I AM A FIEND.**

 **Chapter uploading progression will halt for most of my current stories, to be resumed around November. Thank you, goodbye.**


	31. Scattered, Part One

**Earth 63 - 2039**

They received quite a shock at first, with Luan trying to get out of the house as fast as possible. She held the door open for the others, but it was too damn late to avoid what they thought was either Nnyl back at it with her devious attacks, or something just as bad. They didn't see the lightning penetrate through from the backyard until it was too late to avoid that.

The bunch had indeed fallen through the endless abyss of black nothingness, like Lupa and Lynn were in just now, and kept falling until they finally stopped at the same place at the same time.

"G-guys, are you alright?!" Lana was the first to jump back up from thr ground and checked up on the others. Luan had fallen on her side, moaning heavily in pain; Lily barely saved her child when she was forced to fall hard on her back, which did hurt in the long run, but at least her baby was safe; Lucky was knocked out, maybe dead. Lana shook him violently.

"Uhhhh..." He moaned out.

"Phew," Lana said in relief.

Luan moved up, rubbing her side. "H-how are we not dead? I thought for sure-" She looked up to see a very familiar house right in front of them. "Uh, guys?"

Lana was checking herself, looking for sings of burned clothes or charred skin. Nothing, nothing at all, and she was struck by lightning. How was this even possible? "I don't know how... But we're not dead."

"Guys."

Lily rose up and checked over Lucky. "Uhh, he's not dead, right?"

"No, he's just really hurt," Lana answered, not bothering to dust herself off from the grassy field. "Say, where are-?"

She joined Luan in looking up at their old childhood home in Franklin Ave of Royal Woods. The house was indeed still standing, even after being torn down by the Louds. It was Lily's turn to join in the stare-down, and she lightly gasped at the sight.

"Oh, no. Did- Did we time travel?!" Lana freaked out, beginning to strut away from their old house. "I'm not doing this again!"

"Hold on!" Luan yelled.

"L-Lana, wait!" Lily cried out.

"Uhhh... Momma..." Lucky croaked out.

Just then, the front door of the house opened up. "Agh, who is making all that ruckus outside?!" Out came a young man who sported a similar clothing attire identical to that of Lynn's, only the jersey shirt he had on had a large zero instead of the number one that best suited Lynn. This was either a huge fanboy who knew about the real Lynn Loud, or the girls ended up in the genderbent world, which was still skeptically far-fetched to believe than the fanatic thing. "Whoa, fuhh... Fangirls?!"

Lana had dashed into the sidewalk, only to bump into a woman who was just paasing by. Lana had fallen over her, and then pushed herself off. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I-"

Liberty Loud brushed Lana off, accepting her apology right off the bat. "No, no, it was just an accident I'm sure," the college-type girl assured, letting off a sweet giggle. She picked herself up and helped the stunned Lana up.

Luan and Lily formed petrified faces when they saw Liberty Loud alive and kicking it. Somehow. Then, they gave each other serious looks, believing no good could come from this. "Is that the Liberty chick that tried to kidnap Linka?"

"Holy shit- Liberty?! Liberty!" The male Lynn had something the girls' Lynn did have as well; the superspeed. He zoomed around the wannabes and embraced his only sister into a heartful hug, one that he'd never believe to have gotten chance with again. And here she was, alive like nothing had happened. Only...

Liberty was still the exact same girl the Loud brothers had remembered before she disappeared to God knows where, and was the same girl the Loud sisters had fought years ago, and killed at the hands of Linka.

"Oh, hey Lynn," Liberty greeted, confused as to why she was being given an over-the-top adoration treatment from him. "What's going on?"

Lana moved back, in shock to see the Lynn fanboy was exhibiting Lynn's pheno powers somehow. "H-hey, you! How are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" Boy Lynn made a disgusted face at Lana and the others. "Who even are you guys? We don't want to be bothered by a bunch of... Genderbent cosplayers, so I suggest you leave the premises or I'll escort you out!"

"C-cosplayers?!" Lana looked down at her overralls, slightly offended by the Lynn fan. "You're the one dressed as my sister, and-"

"Lynn, what's all the ruckus?!" The older rocker with the uncanny mohawk, in a purple tanktop and black shorts, peeked his head out, and found an odd scene that compromised of Lynn, Liberty, and a bunch of women who bore similar clothing styles he recognized from his brothers' own. "What is this shindig I see here?"

Lynn lifted Liberty into his arms and ran back to Luke's side. Liberty got dizzy, slapping Lynn in his face. "A little warning next time! I'm not used to this..." She blushed and buried her face within his chest, quieting down with shame.

"Liberty..." It had been so long for this world's Loud family, that which remained, since they had last seen her. Luke stroked his sister's head, gently rubbing around her hair. "She hasn't... Grown. How is this possible?"

"Liberty, you haven't aged a bit since you disappeared," Lynn added.

"What, what does that mean? I..." Liberty pulled her head away from Lynn's chest, looking up at the two. "I don't remember what happened..."

"Lynn, take her inside, I'll take care of these ladies here," Luke ordered.

"Yeah, better you than me," Lynn agreed, leaving with Liberty still in his arms. "Watch your legs, Liberty."

Luke turned his attention to the Loud girls. "And who might you lot be?"

Luan cleared her throat and introduced herself, extending a hand out towards the genderbent Luna. "Hi, I'm Luan Loud, and these are my sisters Lana, and Lily, and the baby and the teen on the floor are my nephews Lincoln and Lucky."

Luke returned her formal greeting, shaking her hand. "You're... Louds?"

"Yeah, that's what I've said," Luan confirmed, already beginning to put two and two together. "So, Liberty... She's your sister?"

"Yeah, she is," Luke simply answered. He was open to answer such a question, which was unlike their own Luna. Sloppy, reckless, maybe over confident. Yes, and no. "If I didn't hear some words you said, I'd be skeptical about the story you fabricated and scared you off. So... You seemed to know Liberty, and you mentioned a Linka as well."

Luan had forgotten momentarily about Luna's heightened senses, which had applied to this male Luna as well. "Ohhh, uhh..." Nice to know that he was onboard. And by then, Luan and Lana wwre the first to piece together where they really were. "It's kind of a long story..."

Luke sucked through his teeth, pressing hands to his waist. "Okay... You'd better come in."

 **Later**

"So... Let me get this straight. My sister, the very same Liberty who you've just seen just minutes ago, made a team of villains just for the sole purpose of killing you guys, and taking this Linka clone to raise as her own?" As Luke was being given the missing Liberty info, the genderbent Lana twin whose name I forgot, Leon, and female Lucky, known as Luckie had assembled in the living room, caught by surprise to see their counterparts.

They were all skeptical to believe it, but Luan had given enough historical evidence to validate the claims. That and Luke had accepted this was the truth already.

Luan nodded once Luke had gotten it right. "Yeah, that's it. I can't ever forget her voice, her laughter, ever. But..." There was that one thing that Luan and company were sure of, but Liberty's current appearance was contradicting this essentially critical fact; Liberty had been killed by the clone. "She died. Errr, well, she was killed while trying to get away with the clone."

"Killed?" As Luke's eyes flared up, some murmurs between the other genderbends drew the silence away.

The male Lana was dressed for the part of a hillbilly farmer, which couldn't really be said for Lana herself. He even had a slight accent that made him even sound the damn part. "What are you saying?"

Luan just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what to make of that. We were sure she had been dead, but... I don't know what to tell you."

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "L-Liberty was a lot of things back in her prime, but not a bad girl, and most certainly not a villain..."

Luckie pulled her male counterpart from the room. She, a scene girl at heart who had grown with no mother or father, offered Lucky a smoke, to which he agreed. The reason for not wanting to hear about this was due to what Lori's role was when Liberty Loud had made her move against the Louds. Lori played as the blackmailed sap, and the story... Well, you know how that went. Lucky didn't need to be reminded of that, and to top it all off, those memories were wiped from existence. They left the scene, only noticed by Lily and Leon.

"None of us had the time to really question her, but the person who knew more than we did was our brother Lincoln."

"Oh?" Luke thought this was the genderbent of Liberty. "Where is this Lincoln right now?"

Luan broke away contact from Luke's eyes, slowly gazing to her feet. "Well... He's...-"

The male Luna caught on to what Luan was indirectly implying. "Oh, oh... I'm sorry for your loss. Uhh, we've had some casualties of our own as well."

Lana nodded her head. "Sounds about right."

"How did you get here to begin with?" He then squinted his eyes. "Say, you weren't brought here as punishment for committing a taboo, have you?"

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, the answer is no. No, they didn't take us here, but all of us have seen first-hand what they can do..." It depressed the two factions to think about what the cosmic entities had brought upon the family as punishment for toying around with that they didn't understand. And all that had been done was to make themselves a better future, a glorious victory. "To answer your first question, I don't know. It's hard to explain, but we had nothing to do with us being here, in this other alternate dimension."

* * *

 **"His name is Leif, but I don't remember lol." -Fandom member, on answering an insightful question. Sigh.**

* * *

"We've got all day," Luke informed Luan. He then got up to check on his long-lost sister. "Leon, Leif, let's go check up on Liberty."

Luan had yet to see her own counterpart, not to mention any others who were here. But, maybe it wasn't exactly the same line of events that were happening on their own turf home. The house had never been burned down here, and male Luna, whatever his name was, hadn't died at the hands of Nnyl, if she existed here in their way.

Lana and Lily took to the couch, a different tan-colored one that fit four people, and sat around idly by, with Luan and Lana observing the alternate version of their childhood home. "It's... Like being in a dream..."

Lana exhaled deeply. "I thought I'd, you know, never be back here again... It's... Weird..."

Lily was gently rocking her baby, keeping her own eyes down at him rather than exploring the house. The house that she spend the least time in, and has had no memory at all with. It didn't matter to her, really, for it was not what she'd come to call home. She leaned toward Luan and pressed a hand to her shoulder, giving her a nice smile. The smile of the girl who showed her gratitude for being raised by Luan most of her childhood.

"Thanks, little sister," Luan sweetly said unto her.

"Hey... I just got a crazy thought," Lana cut in.

"What is it?"

"It's about the Liberty girl- She saw me but didn't recognize me at all. You don't think she's a different one that's from somewhere else, do you?"

Luan shook her head. "Yeah... If she knew us, she'd probably have attacked us or something. This might not be their Liberty, but who are we to tell them? But, we can't be sure."

"Guys, do we really have something to worry about? After all, what can she do here? Around... Her brothers?" Lily was seeing no reason why a long-time foe could hold a grudge and decide to hurt them when she was back in her homefield.

"It's just tingling down my spine, is all... Remember, she was the one who led Lori to her death, and left Lucky without his mother. I don't like her one bit." Luan ended with her opinion on the genderbent Lincoln there. "That's enough talk about that."

"I don't know if you noticed, but no one seemed to be celebrating her return," Lana revealed. "Apart from boy Lynn, that is."

Luan and Lily had seen the boys not greet Liberty to their fullest extent. She did find it odd, but it wasn't her concern to begin with. "Yeah, I guess that is a bit weird. Maybe it's a boy thing."

"Maybe..." Lana rested further onto the couch, relaxing her body.

Upstairs, Luke had heard all that they said. Liberty was given a cold shoulder by them, but he couldn't be mad, for in a way, the violence and cruelty did fit Liberty's MO. He had to see it for himself, however. They described his sister as a monster, painting her with the darker colors. Yeah, the colors sounded about right. "Hey," he said as he entered Lynn's and Lars' old bedroom.

Liberty was laying down over Lynn's bed, being heavily smothered with his affection. She brought herself to smile on how cute her brother's warm side had come out to take care of her. "Is there anything you need at all, little sister?"

She studied his face, slowly raising a hand to smoothly touch it. "You look... Different. Tell me, what did I miss?"

His smile had flipped into a hard frown. "It's... Complicated."

"L-Liberty?" Leon kneeled at the side of the bed, scanning his eyes around Liberty. "I- I thought you were-"

"Don't even say that, little brother," Liberty beckoned, giving him a gleeful smile. "I'm here, Leon. I'm finally home."

"Like, what happened to you?" Leon asked. "Where did you go, all these years?"

Liberty had no actual recollection of her own time in the world where everyone was swapped sex-wise. She remembered her disappearing into a whole new world. Fragments. Fragments of being invisible. Then, nothing. No fighting, no kidnapping, and no Linka. Nothing.

Liberty raised her hands to her face. "I... I'm sorry, I don't know... But it feels like I've been away."

Lynn, Leon, and Leif looked like they had gotten older, and that's because, on assumption, they had grown older, and Liberty found herself to be missing some years. Not days, not weeks, and not even months. It hurt her heart to know that she had gone missing in their eyes. And she teared up a little. "G-guys..."

Luke had been watching from the doorway, still picturing Liberty with the same colors he had one too many times before. Was she lying, or did someone mess with her memories? Either way, he had a bad feeling that he couldn't brush away.

"I'm sorry, my brothers."

"Someone wake up Lane," Luke ordered unto the boys. "I just know he'll be thrilled about the good news."

Leif was on it. "On it!"

"There's nothing to apologize for, Lib," Lynn notioned. "We're just glad that you're back. Right, guys?"

Leon was quick to nod with happiness, but Luke maintained silence, to which he was met with a cold Lynn face. The score was still the same.

"I'm glad to see you guys, too," Liberty whispered.

Leif had returned with a shirtless Lane, walking about in yellow boxers. "What's this all about?" He was just wiping away at his eyes, and peered into the room. Liberty was the nice surprise even he couldn't see coming. "H-hey, i-it's-!"

"Come over here and give me a hug, you old jokester!" Liberty guided.

Luke's attention was grabbed by a whisper from the living room. "Does the name Nnyl mean anything at all to you?" This was from Luan, who was wondering if they had some insight on Nnyl if she existed here as a dude. Chances were fifty-fifty, but there was no way of knowing unless someone asked.

Luke strutted back downstairs. "What's a Nel?" He asked, actually answering Luan's question as well.

They couldn't catch a break, even in other worlds. Luan and Lana exhaled sharply.

"Should I know what that is?"

Luan looked to her sisters, and then down on herself. "Well... We're- I mean, our Lynn is having trouble fighting this... This clone, you see, and-"

"A clone? You mean of him or her or whatever?" It sounded familiar to him.

"Oh, so you're familiar with this particular one?" If luck shone its golden light down on the Loud girls, it would have to be here. Either here or absolute bust. A weakness, a flaw, maybe something that could be exploited against their villain. She prayed in that instance, as did the other two sisters with her.

"Well, I know of one by the name of... Uhh, Lord, but he's long been dead. Clone from the cells of me and Lynn Jr, but he took after me more. That the same one you're talking about?"

Sadly, it wasn't really. Half of it was right, but not all the way. This one sounded more Luna-based than Lynn-based. Not the same one Luan hoped to hear of, but maybe they were the same by basic info. "Oh... Ours... More like Lynn, not... You."

"Well, sorry, I don't know what to tell you. If it's that serious a problem, maybe I could consider crossing over to help you. But by the sound of things, dimension hopping hasn't been achieved yet, and it isn't here either."

"Wait... I didn't say it cause maybe it was just a fluke that we're here, but we've had an encounter with someone who had access to such technology. I'm thinking... I'm thinking it does exist, but we just don't know about it..." Luan was quick to put money down on that bet. "The Agency-"

"Oh, no. Fuck those guys, I'm not going to go back there." Yeah, it seemed to be very different from their own course of events.

"What, why?" Luan shouldn't have been surprised, considering their own version were not as good as the Louds were led to believe.

"Tried to take Linus and the three other clones from us. If that wasn't enough, Liberty was on their shit-list, they wanted her, but we weren't going to allow that." He clenched his fists. "I know she's done some idiotic things, but... She's still my sister in the damn end."

The moment was relatable to the lot. Luan and company, with the exception of Lily at certain times, understood it, having seen and been it one too many times. "I get that..."

"We cut our ties with them, so no relying on those guys for any sort of help."

"You're better off without them, that's for sure," Lana muttered under her breath.

"Granted, there is an armory Lynn and Liberty filled up during our war with... The smart sibling. It's just south of town."

"Oh?"

"Underneath an old building on the way to town. If you want, I can have Lynn help you dig them up, so that you can use them against this clone of yours. I mean, if you're fighting the clone."

The girls merely exchanged stern looks at each other.

"You... Aren't fighting her?" Luke raised an eyebrow. The male counterparts of these girls have definitely earned the title of warriors, but the same could not be said for Luan, Lily and Lana.

"We were never fighters, but this weapons stash... It could benefit Lupa. That's Link-D in Black Network terms."

"He- I mean, _she_ is still alive?"

"Hey, I thought it was obvious our worlds aren't parallel with the happenings and events. In any case, we do need some stuff to help us, so we might as well check it out. We can focus on getting back afterwards."

Leif and Leon were escorting Lane down to meet the totally unexpected guests; he and Luan freaked each other out and pointed at one another.

"Fangirl!"

"Goofy hair!" Luan questioned it. "The point is to be a clown, not look like one!"

"Excuse me?!"

While the irregularly schelduled bickering began, Lynn and Liberty had finally some alone time to themselves, and had already engaged in a nice kissing session. Lynn mounted over her, happy to feel the warmth of his dear lover again. His hands dove around, and then underneath her orange shirt, then switching over to her skirt.

Liberty was moaning through Lynn's sparring mouth, returning his seductive advances. She undressed him, readying for some of that great sex she enjoyed giving and receiving with him. "You missed me that much, huh, Lynn?"

"I did, Lib," he squeaked into her ear, and helped her out of her clothes. Then, his manhood was inserted fairly quickly inside of her, making her moan with more adequate delight.

Oh, how she missed being fucked silly by the likes of him. Liberty ran her hands onto Lynn's back, and swirled them in circles while her lover was thrusting back and forth, her neck now being courted by the pair of nice lips that had been used more to kiss her own perfect lips.

She moaned a lot, and was practically begging for Lynn to screw her faster and harder. He gave it his all, and when he was done, lasting a full thirteen minutes, she rolled them over and started her turn. Liberty wanted it badly, so she was riding him hard. But the bizarre had happened right tyere; Liberty was going too fast, and not at human levels.

"Wh-what the-?" Lynn just saw a blur vibrating on top of him, the same type of blur he recognized as his own, either with the similar or the exact same speed. "L-Liberty?!"

She stopped, a little confused about why, from her point of view, he had slowed down to such slow movement. "What's wrong, baby?"

Lynn wanted to test her, and so he did; Lynn threw a punch that couldn't be seen or blocked by Liberty. But the results suggested otherwise when Liberty did manage to repel the punch with her own hand. "Hey, that's mean..."

"H-how did you..." He shook his head. "N-no way... Y-you're a-"

Liberty scanned both of his eyes, depicting a degree of confusion mixed with pain. "I know... I'm like you."

 **Later**

"You don't remember us? Not at all?"

Liberty was dressed again, and placed to stand in front of the strangers who were dressed up the the attires of her many brothers. There was the Leif one, the Lane one, etc. She didn't know who they were, but they insisted they knew who she was. But she shook her head when Luan had asked the question. "I don't, I somehow lost my memories."

Luke couldn't get anything from the girls either, as they didn't know where Liberty had really come from. She had died, been killed, which made this reunion all the more impossible. But nothing was impossible in this universe and beyond. So somehow, if this was that Liberty Loud like before, then someone had given her the resurrection card for her to use. All was left was to find out who, and for why. Couldn't have been Nnyl, no reason for her to have another speedster in the midst, especially considering that this one was not in her right mind.

But... Liberty didn't seem to be crazy at all. It was the same Liberty they had lost during the Silverhead incursion, so maybe this was that specific one. But no one knew for sure.

"Liberty, uh..." Luke began. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Lexx... They took Lexx away from us, then..." She stumped her head hard with a palm. "Nothing, ugh!"

"Hey, easy girl," Lynn comforted. In secret, this was amazing news to him, considering Liberty was now able to keep up with him. Now they could have all the literal quckies they wanted. "You don't have to try."

Luan and Lana were still distrustful of this Liberty, despite her clear neutral nature. Potentially harmless was the genderbent Lincoln now, but it didn't mean she was in general. Only the boys knew the history, and the girls knew another one. Maybe they were one in the same.

Liberty had taken a specific notice to Lana. "Hey... D-did your twin- Did she-?" Liberty tried to be subtle with her words, but she was more of the direct, and there was simply no avoiding feels should she try to speak her mind.

Lana's lips twitched away, before being pulled away by the white-haired female Lincoln. "Ow, hey!"

Luan and Luke thought they sensed trouble. "What are you doing?" They both asked in alarm.

"I'm gonna borrow her for a moment," she told them, and sped up with Lana.

"What's going on?" Lana was just a guest in Liberty's closet-room of the house, watching her rummage through her clothes.

"Do you miss her?" Liberty asked. "What was her name?"

Lana just gave the gut reaction to the question, sitting down and sniffing aloud. "Her name was... Lola..."

Liberty stopped and brought her full attention to Lana. "Lola... That's a cute name for her," she told Lana as she joined right beside her. "I don't know what it's like to lose a sister, coming from a family that's full of boys. Even my clone turned out as a boy, too."

"I think it would be the same thing. They're all siblings to you, meaning... Meaning it would hurt to see them gone."

"You know, I sometimes do wish I had a sister, even know. In a way..." She pointed downwards. "You are all my sisters."

Lana had opened her mouth at her, and Liberty dashed forward, then back to the bed, holding a set of her old trademark clothes. She handed them to Lana, who drew confusion from this. "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Put them on, sister," Liberty urged with content. "We can be matching twins."

Oh, it played into her heartstrings slowly. Liberty had offered to fill in Lola's shoes, what with her being a girl and a speedster to match Lana equally. After all, it was easier to penetrate through Lana's barrier than that of Leif's. He closed himself off, a manly burden to never let the pain kill him, one to carry it forever. One that was understood very well in this household. A different lifestyle.

Lana smiled gratefully and held the clothes. Then, she remembered her silent oath to herself. "I can't run... I won't."

Liberty was surprised to hear this. Being out of the fray for so long, she hadn't thought of what could have happened in between these missing years. These long, thirteen missing years... She didn't wish to know what happened, however, nor did she desire an explanation to what had seemingly occur with her that would reveal how and why she had somehow come back from the deaf. At least, that's what the girl Lane had told her, and it scared her near shitless. She wasn't dead, but she certainly did feel that way coming back to her brothers.

"Oh... It's because of her, right? Well..." But Liberty had already seen the crying sparkle that Lana's eyes projected. She really did look like she was missing something. Someone. Lola. "I'm sorry for your loss," she quietly said, pulling Lana into a warm hug.

"Uh!" The tomboy squealed. The warmth of Liberty's sisterly affection, it was practically the same as Lola's, inexplicable to Lana.

"Would she want you to stop running?"

Lana shot her eyes around the room, listening in to her words.

"I know you're doing this for you, but... Would she have wanted you to not use them?"

Lana took it into account. "I... I don't know."

"Isn't it time you thought about it?" Liberty let go of Lana, pulling back. "What if there's an emergency? I shudder to think your twin would hate you for holding back..."

It was true, and it sank into Lana. She had, in fact, broken the vow of silence once already, helping her family escape from the clutches of the Ventura fiend and his minions. But... She restarted it again. Who was really the one responsible for Lana's choices?

"Without her, I feel incomplete..." Lana faced down to her lap, staring at Liberty's clothes.

"You keep-" Liberty placed a hand over Lana's. "You don't have to keep doing this. Bad enough I see my own you lock himself away, I don't want you to do the same, keeping it all bottled up and never to use."

"I... Don't know..." Lana sighed. "What's the point of running if she'll never be running beside me? It's... Not...-"

Liberty pressed a finger to Lana's lips. "The point... The point is to run _forward._ Forward."

Lana looked up at Liberty, who returned triumphant, confident smile. Yes, she meant what she said, for she believed it. She, who had once tried to kill the Louds and take Linka as her own, was preaching down to Lana, telling her what was. And Lana was taking the advice. She got up and exited the room with the clothes at hand, in a quiet manner.

Liberty thought that she had gotten through to her, and smiled, laying back in her bed. She closed her eyes, feeling glad to be back. Whatever the circumstances were behind the resurrection, if she really did die as they said so, then it was beneath her. Liberty turned on her side, when she heard a faint shuffling underneath her.

Curious, she got up and felt around for the source of the noise. It wasn't on her bed, but on the pocket of her skirt. "Oh, hello!"

It was a folded up piece of paper, which she unfolded;

 **THIS IS THE SECOND LEASE OF LIFE GIVEN TO YOU. R** **EMEMBER WHO YOU ARE -N**

She had no time to figure out what the meaning of this cryptic message was, for she was so rudely interrupted by Lana, who had come back, now wearing in the same attire as Liberty. "You look amazing!" Liberty squeaked in a high voice, smiling widely at the new Lana.

"Thanks," Lana shrugged off, stretching the skirt around. She was never one to dress girly like this before, and it was rather strange. Strange, and cold, as she was more exposed than she was familiar with. But she couldn't complain. "Uhh... I can keep these, right?"

Liberty nodded in agreement. "I think it's time I remodeled my fashion choices these days."

Lana gave a shrug of her shoulders. "I think we all do," she corrected.

The sound of thunder, just like Lana had heard before, erupted notoriously through the skies above. Lily's son had awoken at mother nature's trumpet blaring high above, crying in her arms. "Shhh, it's okay, my little Lincy."

"I didn't see any clouds forming," boy Lynn inquisited. "We having some hell weather?"

And just like before, the black oval appeared again, only for the girls shivered upon its ominous sight the male Louds had no understanding with.

"What- What is this?" Luke stood his ground, stretching his arms out to warn his brother to keep their distance. "It's like the blue one-"

"It's what brought us here!" Luan yelped out. Then, she grabbed Lily and led her back outside. "Out! Get out! The lightning-!"

The blue lightning had greeted Luan first, making her disappear behind Lily. "L-Luan?"

She, and her son, were next to go, vanishing after being whipped by the lightning.

"Hey, don't move!" Luke warned his brothers, extending his arms back from the oval. "Stay back!"

Lynn took off with Leif and Lane outdoors, leaving Luke to get Liberty out of harm's way.

"Liberty!" He screamed out, before seeing a curving blue lightning bolt circle past above his Mohawk. "Oh, shit! Liberty!"

Lana and Liberty, the matching set of girls of nearly identical height, had wandered out to see what the ruckus was about. In that very second they had indeed seen the incoming natural electric whip, they tried to run it through the back.

"Come on!" Liberty had phased through the room, exiting out only to fall hard. "H-hey! G-girl Leif?"

Lana didn't vibrate through the wall. Instead, there was a flash of blue light that the window had shown to Liberty. The window then shattered as it had so happened for Liberty's turn to re-enter into a realm that was not hers. "Oh, n-"

And all the girls had been claimed yet again by the inexplicable phenomenon.

* * *

 **AN: Less than eight chapters left until the great big battle of the town you all know and love! Well, maybe not love. Just a town, and they can always be remodeled, rebuilt, and reconstr- I mean, uhh... Tehe. Meanwhile, a poster cometh. It's too bad I can't really draw digitally, nor have the tech to learn how to, otherwise I'd be fabricating these into comics. And those would capture these stories better, in my opinion. Well, depends also.**

 **See you next time, where we follow Lacy's further adventures from an old fic!**


	32. Scattered, Conclusion

**Earth 4117 - 2039 - Four Years Later**

Sixteen year old Lacy had been alarmed with paranoia when she heard some noises right outside the garage she was in, while practicing her solo session of swinging and applying her bloodied baseball bat. It had been taken from her briefly, part of the murder case that then became labeled as a self-defense case, and Lacy had won that shit. Of course, she didn't win in all angles. It wouldn't bring her sweet mom back, and it wouldn't fix her dear old dad. Boy, did her heart truly know what heartbreaking suffer really mean.

She was ready to apply it to the shits who had broken in to either mock or shit on her, a cruel thing that became regular when a fraction of the whole story became outed to the public. Newspapers, articles, word around many countless neighborhoods even. Lacy had been seen as a completely new person since she beat the evil witch that night.

When Lacy had come out of the garage, she found two women looking around the backyard, almost as if they were scouting it to see what could be so easily destroyed. Lacy wasn't having vandalizing intruders today. She raised the bat, pointed it and them, and screamed. "Hey, you!"

They turned around to face her, and that's where it got really interestingly bizarre; it was the faces of both Lupa Loud, a long-dead half-sister she once had, and then the other one... The other one was unmistakably Lynn Loud, the mother Lacy had lost to Ronnie Anne and her foul, unforgivable agenda.

 _It can't be..._ She thought, facing impossibility in the form of the pair of dead women.

"L-Lacy?" Lupa had called out, stunning the bat-wielding teenager. "Lacy!"

"What are you doing at this house?!" Lacy boomed with a deeper voice, grimly advancing towards them.

"Lace, hold on!" Lupa cried out, with eyes watering out uncontrollably. "It's- It's me! Lupa!"

Lacy had stopped briefly, examining her face. She actually didn't know what to make of this. Either these two strangers were part of some fucked up prank, or somehow, just somehow, it really was them. Lacy wasn't the smartest, there was no denying that, but she wasn't dumb enough to believe that her mother and half-sister were alive and in person.

They had similar features to note; her mother's and Lupa's freckles, the same hairstyles they had before. How long did the make-up team take?

"Stay right there, you pissants!" Lacy warned, taking out her cellphone. "I'm going to call the-"

Lupa did not know where she and Lynn were, nor the history of this earth's version of events. "Lace, hold on! What's happening, what is-"

"Shut up! I don't know who you are, but you dare put offend the memories of my own mother? My own mother?!"

"M-mother? What?" Lynn turned red and hid her face from Lacy. She lost her balance with Lupa and plummeted to the ground, where she then stuck a hand back up. "Lupa, get me up!"

"Get yourself up!" Lupa yelled back, not breaking away from Lacy's eyes. "You can still walk."

Lynn just moaned angrily, and sat herself up. "I hate you..."

"Yeah, well I hate just about everyone and everything," Lupa retorted back.

"Hey, what are you two blabbering about?" Lacy continued forward, phone and bat still in her hands. "Don't make me swing at-"

"F-fuck this," Lupa cut the scene short, yanking both objects from Lacy's hands without moving. They fell at her feet, leaving Lacy bewildered at the odd power Lupa had just displayed.

"H-how did you-" She thought this lookalike to be a magician or something. "Stay back, I-I know martial arts!"

"Why is she wanting to attack us? Lupa, get this under control," Lynn heavily suggested.

"Lacy, t-take it easy..."

"Y-you're a freak! Stay away, I'm-" Just as she tried to bolt away from the backyard, Lupa had gotten a forceful restraint on Lacy and pulled the younger girl right into her arms. She did fidget, try a futile escape. She sure was atrong, even stronger than Lupa could remember, and Lacy had nearly escaped from Lupa's clutches, until the white-haired girl had soothed her down.

Lupa's breath was shaky, eyes still visibly red. "Wh-where's Liby?"

And Lacy had then begun to wonder if these were just frauds, or something more. Liby and her mother, aunt Luan to Number Two of this family, as well as much of the whole story had been excluded from the news outlets. No one would ever know the full truth, but they would come to know that a freak show had taken place. No one should have known about Liby, but this woman did. This woman who looked like an older Lupa, but Lupa would have been eighteen or nineteen if she were alive. This woman looked a little older, around her twenties to be exact. But she knew who Liby was.

"L-Liby..." Lacy relaxed within the woman's arms. "Who are you?"

"Don't be an idiot..." Lupa had her tears fall, an act too realistic in Lacy's eyes. "If you're here, then you should know who I am."

"N-no... It- You- You can't be her... You can't be Lupa, j-just like her..." Lacy pointed a trembling arm down at Lynn. "It's... My mom and Lupa are d-dead!"

Lupa twitched to hear the revelation come from Lacy's buck-toothed mouth. She lost grasp of teenage Lacy, letting her mouth go agape. "I-I'm-"

"Lupa!" Lynn tried to stand on one leg, and reached up to Lupa's shirt. "Help me up!"

"We- We're in..." Lupa began, but trailed off, mind wandering to a far away place, running off again.

"H-hey, Lacy? Lacy, I need help-" Lynn wobbled while using Lupa as support.

Lacy was truly lost, not knowing what to believe again. They were real, or they were fake. But... What was the truth, if it amounted to something? Who were these pretenders, and how did they come to know about Liby? Were they really pretenders? Lynn had called Lupa by her name, but Lacy had known they didn't get along. And they weren't actually, but not as much as back then. Then, Lupa had asked for Lacy's half-sister. She didn't know, she didn't know where Liby was. Could it have been that this was the real deal?

"M-mom... Mom, is that...?" It had been a few years since Lacy had last seen her loving mother, tragically. The wake, the funeral, the final goodbye; they made it impossible for Lacy to smile again. Her fault. It was all her fault the whole time. And she needed not a psychologist to tell her what was and what could never be again. Lacy had every right to punch the living shit out of these women should they have been pretenders with some greedy agenda, whether it was for a prank to earn many views and followers, or maybe a mindfuck to exploit the fractured Lacy's hurtful emotions, which was this generation's idea of trolling. "R-really-?"

By the context Lacy had implied, it wasn't just Lupa who had received the bad end of the deal. Lynn had joined in with Lupa's discovery, and was curious about the history that had taken place in this alternate reality. "What happened to me?"

Lacy gave in and decided to help Lynn stay on her feet. It was her tone of voice that helped her case, giving authenticity to the motherless broken girl. Granted, she still had a suspicious sight maintained on Lupa, believing her to be a true abomination of some sort.

"No. No, no. It's okay, she's not what you think she is..." Lynn assured her, while being led to the inside of the strange house.

It was when she was being escorted to the living room that she saw remnants of the different dimension; many framed photos of this world's Lynn and Lincoln had been seen together, all of the photos portraying them as a loving couple. That included wedding photos, as well. And Lynn could not take her eyes off of them. Here, she had gotten an unsavory taboo of a wish granted; she had gotten with her own brother and reproduced. "Y-you're my d...-"

Lacy was not a clone in this world, but an actual product of this forbidden love. Lupa found that out for herself as she explored the house. "Jesus fucking Christ... Then, that must mean-" Then, Lupa actually threw up at her feet.

Lynn embraced Lacy tightly in her arms. "My daughter... You're my sweet-" To know that another Lynn, within the entirety of the multiverse, was able to have a child, did more power damage to her heart and soul. But this one was missing a mother, as it so happened to sound like, so why not play the role? She wanted it. She wanted it so bad, and there was no way she could fail. Certainly not this time, and this girl was neither the Lacy that was alive on their own world, nor was she Lynnette, the other clone Lynn wanted to give more of her time to. The one that made her see that she'd never get the chance again if she turned her away, let her be. Another Lacy case. Another running away.

They hugged it out deeply and affectionately. Lacy fought it off no longer, only leveling up to the waterworks, sobbing aloud for the dead mother who had somehow returned to her. "I miss you! I miss you so much!"

Lupa wretched out the last of the gag order, and rushed to the bathroom, giving the two alone time, past due. She closed the toilet and sat in solitude, crying hard into her cupped hands. She wanted it, wanted the chance to see them again. And the wish had been granted, but it wasn't at all how she imagined it would be. Not _her_ Lacy, and not a positive Lacy at that. Could it be enough for Lupa to get something good out of this?

She wiped away her face, succeeding in making her whole face moist with her fresh tears. Unimaginably painful, sheer horror for knowing that, beyond the place where death, darkness, and the endless misery had lingered on to the Loud name like a sickness, extended to other places, not sparing these ones from the cycle. Lupa only prayed that death, possibly worse, hadn't befallen sweet little Liby, however grown she was now. However _different_ she was know.

Lupa moved to the sink, leaning her head down and took a deep breather in. The stupid... Whatever it was in scientific terms, had brought her here. She wanted to say it was random, an unlucky shot to see a world where Lacy and Liby were alive, but with a dastardly twist to it. How dare fate play her in such a mercilessly cruel manner? She settled to a calm after the storm had hit.

Back in the living room, Lacy was snuggling comfortably away with her Not-Mother mother in her warm arms. She wouldn't let this elude her, whether real or not. It was the beautiful feel of having her sweet, loving mother back in her grasp that made Lacy never want to let go. She was happy, crying tears of joy, sentiment long-lost somewhere within the new, darkened Lacy. Darkened, no more.

They said nothing, only rolling along with the physical and emotional embrace of each other's loving feels. This, but Lacy had also forgiveness to seek out from Lynn, for all that she had done. The conspiracy to out their happy family, the allegiance to strangers who desired the same thing, in the name of justice, which was all but true justice, and last but not least, Lynn's death at the end of the shitstorm.

Neither Lynn or Lupa were thinking on how to return home at the moment.

 **Later**

Lacy didn't want to circle back to the dark history that did damage onto her, and the two misplaced women couldn't blame her. They just had to know what fully went on here, to understand the situation, as well as Lacy's specific feelings in the matter.

Lupa had access to the only computer in the house; she found out for herself that Lynn had died in a car accident, and, not long after, a brutal murder had taken place within the walls. The murder of Ronnie Anne Santiago. Rather than having questions answered, it only raised more than she knew what do to with. In the end, she realized it wouldn't have made a difference in knowing or not, for it had already happened.

Lupa had finished with her research, and turned away from the computer. "Wow... You... Actually killed someone..." Lacy could never have done such a thing, not in any way Lupa would be able to think of. There was a long story waiting to be told, but Lacy could not be the storyteller. Clearly, an alternate Lincoln Loud, as hinted at by the photos she had seen, lived her as well. "Where's your father?"

Lacy was still hogging for her mother's warmth, laying at Lynn's side as they had their session of embrace still running. They had taken it to Lacy's room, snuggling on her bed. Lacy turned her head, which had been resting on Lynn's head, and moved to Lupa's direction. "He'll b-be here later this evening."

"He works?" Lynn asked with a motherly tone.

"Mom... What's with all these questions? Y-you should know-" She then paused, still hopelessly lost on what was real. "You don't remember?"

"I...-" Lynn didn't know how to explain who they were, and where they came from to her.

Of course, Lupa had already been thinking of a pretty huge lie. A believable lie that Lacy could actually believe. Maybe. "Lacy... We're-" She did have a doubt, scratching her neck. "We're angels."

"Uh, you're what?" Lacy raised an eyebrow, rotating her eyes from Lupa to her mother. "As in, actual-?"

Lynn just pressed a finger to Lacy's eyes, and then threw a look back at Lupa. _Not bad..._ "We're trying to remember who we... Were before," Lynn added. "C-could you tell us what happened?"

Lynn knew she was asking for too much from Lacy, but she asked anyway. And if it was so that Lacy would weep again, from the pain, Lynn would be there, just as she was know. Hell, she already was.

"I'm here for you... I'm here now," she comforted further to this version of her distant, dead clone.

Lupa kept her silence intact, but had urged Lacy to go on and share, by giving her a nod where she said it would be okay to do so.

Lacy ended up explaining it alright, amidst the many cutoffs and shaky voice that made it an uneasy tale to recount. From the rape backstory of her father, to the mission to avenge the white-haired girl who killed herself for learning that she was accidentally born, leading up to the fall of this family that had left the house emptier thereafter. Lupa had developed a mixture of many emotions that left her quite unsettled, and was opening and closing her hands as and after Lacy had explained the endless madness.

This version of Lupa... Killed... Herself. Out of pain, out of misery for feeling unwanted. No, for knowing that she was an unwanted child, and had faced the hostility from he who was her own blood father, and the aunt who mothered the final sin child of the three. Lucy, the only one who would take Lupa in, and whom had wanted her, had taken her own life way before all of this. This Lupa was uneasy, angry, horrified, and dead beyond words.

Lupa wanted to hug Lacy, but from the context of the story, they were never close here. Not lile vack then, and not like she grew accustomed to. It was depressing for her to know that Lacy never knew her or Liby that much. Liby... Lupa wanted to see Liby, even if it wasn't going to be a pleasurable venture.

Lupa faced back to the computer, sitting in silence. Why was she truly here?

Within that minute, Lincoln Loud, the broken father of the mother-less Lacy, had arrived by then, marking his signature, "Lacy!"

She responded and moved up and away from her angel mother's side. "H-he's home early... Mom, c-come down with me," she begged Lynn.

Lynn only widened her eyes when she heard the familiar voice of her dear brother. She was ecstatic, putting on a weak smile, but she didn't know how he'd respond. That was concerning to her by a lot. "H-help me, honey," Lynn requested from her otherworldly daughter, moving her arms to Lacy.

"What happened to your legs, mom?" Lacy asked.

"She broke her legs in the fall from heaven," Lupa further lied. It was a funny one at that, and Lupa hid her forming smile from the two.

"I'm sure you heard that loud crash, right?" Lynn moved up slowly, still faintly groaning as Lacy helped her stand. "Agh, damn it!"

"Yeah, mom. I did," Lacy answered gently. "Scared me, too."

"Psshh..." Lupa muttered.

Lacy and Lynn began walking out. "Lupa, are you coming?"

The white-haired girl stood seated at the computer desk, staring blankly at the two. "I'll join you two in a bit, fair?"

Lynn nodded, allowing Lupa's simple wish to be fulfilled. "Just come down after."

Lacy then began to guide her down. Down to meet Lincoln anew. She gulped as she made daring steps down with the borrowed daughter from her dead, alternate self.

"D-daddy-" Lacy called out to him.

The single father of the desolate teenager was looking through the mail. All that came was the cable bills, and not at all letters from any of his many siblings. Nothing. Not yet, at least. He pushed them away and sighed with pain before responding to his daughter. "Yes, Lacy? Was is it?"

She came into the kitchen, appearing casually. But it wasn't just a causal greeting, for she had appeared with an identical lookalike of his fallen wife. The wife that he loved and lost four years ago. He squealed with quite a shock, standing up rather fast, and with enough force to drive the chair on its back, which made a large clanking thump on the floor.

It was just like Lynn had expected, but too much above the normal reaction. She forced a smile that she hadn't built up to keep, but had indeed been happy to see the face of her brother, and brief lover, again.

"N-No... It can't be- Whuh-?" Lincoln took a step back and lost balance, falling right over the chair. He made a softer thud, eyes still locked onto Lynn. "H-h-h...-"

"Dad, it's mom!" Lacy cried with joy. "Mom is here again!"

The switching of Lacy's tone, along with the twinkling watery glimmer in Lincoln's blue eyes, had further told Lynn that they had both missed her just as much as she and Lupa had missed them both. It was the same amount of heartache. It had to be the same. She couldn't control her emotions this time around, so she cried when he died, and jumped right from Lacy's shoulders to meet the downed Lincoln on the floor.

"Lincy! I-it's you! My Lincy!" Lynn engaged her lips to wrestle with his, to which Lacy looked away, and in seconds, the two adults were locking on. It was a messy one were they felt each other's streaming tears that ran to and past their lips. Lynn pulled away and stared closely at him. "I missed you, Lincy! I missed you so much!"

Then, they were so interrupted by the sound of gunfire. An unscheduled drive-by shooting aimed at the Loud residence got Lacy ducking down for cover, screaming with fright. "MOMMY!"

The windows were penetrated, with glass shards flying around. Dust formed when the stray bullets hit the walls. It stopped only after some plates and cups had also fallen victim to the flying rounds.

Lynn had applied herself as cover for Lincoln, mounting as his own personal shield.

Lacy had covered her ears and shut her eyes, still screaming for dear life. "P-please!"

Lupa acted like the emergency response, diving down and breaking out a shot-up window. Lynn had just barely seen her before she had gone away to find those who needed to answer for this. "Damn it! Lupa!"

Lacy carefully removed her hands and rose up. She stated out the broken window, wondering when it was going to end.

Lupa didn't care about who was bound to see her. She did manage to get the attention of some people down below while she flew upwards, scouting around for the target vehicle. It wasn't hard to find the one, as there was just a white, rusty van rapidly going down the streets. Had to be the one. And Lupa's blood boiled to the core.

The van had gotten five blocks further before Lupa decided she was far enough from the house, and came in lunging right at it. She flipped the entire vehicle on its side before landing on it. That was one way to be noisy about it. When the driver, a man who was cpugjing heavily, opened the door to try and make a run, Lupa yanked the door from its hinges and then forced the driver out of there. "Come here, you son of a-"

She was astonished to find it was the once awkwardly scrawny brat she knew as Clyde McBride. Clyde McBride, who looked half of what he used to be. A little buff, maybe, but still skinny, and dressed like a hipster. Only, this was no innocent Clyde with a fetish for teenage blonde girls. He was still stuck with the Uzi in his hand, but Lupa knocked it out of the grown Clyde. "I know you, you're Lincoln's childhood friend."

Clyde was there, caught, and wondering how this girl had caught him so easily. Wait, this girl. He atudied her hair and physique. It couldn't have been... "And you're the goth's freak, aren't you?" He chuckled while coughing blood. "I thought you were supposed to be dead. Yeah, they broadcasted it, and you even have your own grave!"

Lupa twitched. "Why are you coming after Lincoln and Lacy?!" She angrily demanded.

He didn't reply, but did try to budge out of her grip. Lupa then began rising into the air as a crowd had begun to form, cellphones being brought out to record the unusual event. "Fine, have it your way!"

Clyde was visibly freaking out, head frantically moving about. "H-how are you doing this?!"

"You're right, I'm dead," Lupa talked through the gusts of wind. "Doesn't mean I can't come back."

"Y-you can't be-"

"Start talking, damn it! Or I will let you go!"

Clyde wasn't trying to escape now. "Mmm! He's committed a sin! A sin! That girl, his daughter with Lynn, she is a child of prohibited love and cannot be! Makes all prohibited love look even worse!" He stopped, and closed his eyes. "Word got out of that, only in bits and pieces, but... There are some who knew the entire truth, and it was enough people in town who...-" He hesitated.

"Speak!" Lupa ordered as she stopped at three hundred feet above ground level.

"A big enough committee wasn't h-having it... Religious freaks, th-they went after muh-my...-"

"They killed your dads, is that it? And you thought... You thought you would get revenge by going after the wrong prey?" She have him the death glare.

"I'm s-sorry... I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to try and kill them! And I didn't mean to kill th-that girl..."

"Wait, what girl?"

"Th-the one from the orphanage..."

And then her heart dropped down deeper. Liby... Clyde... Killed... She flinched with a burning hatred now. She didn't need it. She didn't fucking need it, and she got it anyway. "You fucking idiot... The only thing that happens when you take revenge is... You'll fall." And she dropped him, having no sympathy or pity for the victimized acquaintance. He died screaming alright, but she only watched as he fell to his hard death.

She returned eventually only to find the three cleaning up and inspecting the mess like nothing had happened. "Hey, why isn't anyone calling the cops?"

Lincoln only stared with wonder at Lupa as Lynn gave the reply. "They did, the cops won't come for a while... Please tell me you-"

"I got the guy, damaged the guy," Lupa coldly admitted.

Lynn pressed a hand to her head and sighed. "Cut back on that, please..."

"C-cut back on what? What is she talking about, mom?"

"I hurt the guy who shot at the house, is what!" Lupa shrieked. "Look at this! This isn't okay, how are you-?!"

Lincoln, who had already been made aware that Lupa was somehow also here, stomped a leg down hard. "Because it wouldn't be the only time we've faced this kind of shit! It happens every so often, no one bothers to come here when our lives are threatened! And I simply can't contact my sisters for help. N-not while I have Lacy with me..."

It was Lupa's turn to be silent, now that Lynn had taken her turn after she abruptly left. She merely shook her head and clenched her fists. This was not a future she wanted for them. Not for Lacy, not her father. It was bad enough for Lupa to know that Liby... Liby was gone.

She faced away from the trio and glanced back out the window. She wished to have stopped crying by then, but the agony the toughest trials had caused Lacy and Lincoln was too damn much to believe and accept. If Lupa could trade her life for infinite happiness in their lives, she'd have done it in a heartbeat.

"I only wish..." She whispered away from them.

"Is it really... That bad, Lincy?" Lynn displayed her concerned sentiments from the harsh, cruel life the pair seemed to be living. Just like Lupa, Lynn expressed a desire to change their course, somehow. But then, she knew she had the power. She'd always had the power.

"Yeah..."

"Lincoln, Lacy," Lynn started up. "I don't know how it's been for you guys, but I know that you can get through this! You have each other! You need each other!"

Lupa stopped her weeping and took notice to Lynn's words.

It was interesting to note that Lincoln had accepted that this was truly was Lynn, faster than it took Lacy. He was probably more open-minded, or maybe he would have taken anything that looked like a sign. No, that seemed to be more fitting. He needed something hopeful. Something like this.

Lynn summoned little Lacy to join the two in a hug. "Come here, Lace."

The girl with the black jersey had moved toward her parents, taking part of the family hug formation. "M-mom..."

"I love you both, with the bottom of my heart," Lynn went on. "And... I can't- I can't stay here, not for long. I need you two to make it without me, to be strong, and maybe stronger than me."

Lacy was struck with the news. "Wh-what? What do you mean?" She began to whimper like a puppy.

"Lynn-"

Lupa didn't turn around just yet.

"I know you two can survive with these obstacles that get in your way! I know you can!" She brought the closer to her, hands both wrapped around them as she spoke. "I'll be waiting!"

"M-mom, I d-don't want you to go!" Lacy tearfully pleaded.

Fate said otherwise however, when the storming thunder rang out in their eardrums, followed by the appearance of the black anomaly that inexplicably dragged Lynn and Lupa to this world where it was an equivalent dark mess. It was centered just behind them, and Lupa finally turned to them due to it.

That was their cue, and Lupa let out a light gasp. "No..."

"We have to go now..." Lynn stated with discontent. "I'm sorry, Lacy..."

She stepped back, reluctantly letting go of her loved ones, before the blue bolts have seized her whole, taking her back inside.

"Lacy!" Lupa reached to her alternate clone sister, grabbing her hands. "I'll come back! We- We'll come back! We'll come back!" It was her turn to go now. Lupa went through it, but had so while trying to hold onto Lacy as long as possible. "I PROMISE, WE WILL FIND A WAY TO COME BACK!"

Lacy just looked, seeing past how weird this whole scene was. She ended up buying what they were selling, and accepted that the two were going back to the land above and beyond the realm of her world. She and Lincoln were still sobbing as Lupa had gone to return to her own world.

"LACY!" It was the last scream she would give before disappearing into the black hole.

Lupa had made a hard entrance back to the wrecked house, and had Lynn, now able to use her legs slowly, help her to her feet. "G-get off me!"

"Don't be like that, Lupa..." Lynn let go of her and began limping off to the house. "I don't think they're-"

The rest of the gang had come back after being dropped out from their own transporting hole. Lily had curled herself up in a ball when landing back on familiar ground. She was just again but took it for her child. She sat upright and cradled him tightly, focusing on his safety. Luan rubbed her head once getting up, letting out a light groan. Lana was helped to her feet by the genderbent Lincoln, stunned visibly by her having come back with the latter. Lucky seemed to be fully unconscious.

"H-hey, what's she doing here?!" Luan was puzzled to see Liberty among them, as was Lynn and Lupa. "She's not supposed to be here!"

"Hey, I- I don't know," Liberty told Luan. "What just happened?"

"Lynn! Lupa!" Lily noticed the missing two girls whom she thought were left behind here. "You're okay!"

Lupa raised an arm, choking Liberty with hesitation. "PERISH!"

"Wait, stop!" Lana yelled. "She's not the same as before!"

Lupa wasn't listening, only acting on her explosive emotion that had filled her back in the alternate world. Lynn had to elbow her to stop her, and she did it harshly. Lupa flopped like a rag doll, taking a forced nap courtesy of Lynn.

"Someone explain, now," Lynn requested.

Liberty had her hands on her throat, coughing wildly as Lana was holding onto her. "D-did I do something to her, too? I'm sorry..."

"Lynn, uhh... Why don't we talk inside?" Luan offered after examining Lucky's condition. "Nice to see that you are able to walk now."

"I'll be able to fight again pretty soon," Lynn noted happily. "And soon..."

She and Luan began wandering into the wrecked house, leaving the others to remain outdoors.

"Geez, what happened here?" Liberty wondered what had wrecked the house to this amount of property damage. "This is where you guys live?"

"More or less," Lana confirmed. "We'll have to fix this, or find another house... I really liked this house."

The baby in Lily's arms cooed adorably, making the scene a tad more lively. "Little Lincoln is hungry," Lily figured. "Lana, come with me, in case the house is unstable."

"Oooh, I'll come, too!" Liberty cheered. "I like babies!"

With those three, plus the baby, having left the backyard, it only left Lupa and Lucky alone. She was the first to wake up with a broken nose. "Hng... Damn you, Lynn..." She rubbed her nose, and then ran the recap of where they left off.

The mission was still there, the mission to touch down on Royal Woods and fight all forces that would be in play. The Agency's phenos, which would fall under Nnyl's control, and the Agency themselves, most likely. That was two opposing forces signed for the endgame. But the two forces had a disadvantage; the element of surprise was in Lupa's favor. She just needed to activare the counter to the mind control that was hinted at, and that meant Lucky retrieve from the Agency. She circled through the objectives, and readied for it. The faster, the better.

* * *

To hell with waiting. Lupa needed a ride to hitch from, and Lynn was forgetting it.

Lipa made only five steps to the house, when yet another roar cackled from an unknown source. A new black hole had opened up right above Lupa, making her duck out of the way. "Shit!"

No telling what to expect from this drop, but Lupa feared the worst, and readied into a battle stance. "INCOMING!" Lupa alerted the family.

From the black pit, only one person did come falling out. The person was covered heavily in dirt, so it took Lupa some long seconds to figure out who she was. And when she did know who had come down, she found no reason to fight. If there was any miracle ever presented at any time throughout history before her, this was the mother of all miracles, and one that meant the difference between winning against Nnyl and the Agency.

"Ugh..." Linka looked just like she did before she had died, albeit dirty. "F-fucking Lynn..." She coughed up dirt and then looked up to see the light of day. Then, she noticed the knocked out Lucky and the ecstatic Lupa.

Lupa had indeed been happy to see Linka alive again, somehow, but that all changed when the first clone upped and lunged at her to attack. It scared her, even. "Linka?!"

"LUPA!"

* * *

 **AN: Welcome back, Linka. Or so to speak. Huehue.**

 **I think I did okay with this 2039 x SotS thing, trying to explore beyond the grounded roots of that fic, showing something of an impact it (kind of) had on Clyde. Well, it makes sense to me, but you do you if it does not appear to be that good. Yes, Liby is dead, but dead in the future. Just think of her as alive in the present timeline of the fic. That is all. Goodbye until next time.**

 **Two more one shots before the prologue of war.**


	33. From Deader Places

**Earth 1134**

And Lynn buried Linka to end the rebel known as LK, with the reason to cease her from her rebel activity that would have for sure made Lisa launch a heavy strike at the old Loud house. That meant her, the legless Luan, and the saddened Lily to be wiped out effectively and brutally. But Lynn wasn't going to have that, hence the death of Linka Loud.

At least, it would have ended for Linka that way, if not for the sudden intrusion of a stranger she had never met. That stranger had dug her out, apparently knowing where she would have been.

"Name's not important," the stranger notified. Linka only studied her rescuer, identified her as a teenage brunette girl with a red and orange dress. The girl had a pair of glasses that made her look somewhat smart, somewhere in between normal and Lisa levels of intelligence. Her hair was all scrunched up, with only a bit, plus a widow's peak, hanging to the front of her face.

Of course, Linka showed immediate distrust and was already choking her. "And just who in the fuck are you?"

"I j-just s-said-" The girl choked as she spoke. She then tapped repeatedly on Linka's wrists, pleading non-verbally for an explanation.

Linka had seen her blue eyes, and knew this was not at all a killer. She eased up and let go, then began sprinting from the house.

Lynn the Third was following after her. "Wait! Linka!"

The girl knew her name, prompting Linka to stop. She had no guns or melee weapons on her, so no killing whoever this annoying shit was. Granted, she was thankful for the save. "Fine, I'll humor you..."

Lynn the Third hadn't yet the body to withstand maximum physical condition, so they both walked it out to the devasted town that was but a barren wasteland up to here. The entire world was crippled, a dream that was soon realized by the dictator Lisa Loud and her regime of endless goons. Linka was barely surviving against them, and now that Lucky had given his life... She was truly alone again. No Lincoln, no backup. Nothing.

She led the young stranger to the rundown movie theater, one of many places she had called home, but it never felt like it. The place was much like the encampment for vagabonds and hobos, obly these particular homeless people had lives before the domination came to pass. Poor people, whose homes were destroyed, and loved ones lost in the initial and ongoing war. The war that no one was winning.

The theater smelled like shit and piss when entering, and the entire floor had been ransacked with dirty clothes and covers laying about. Many of the homeless were surrounded around barrels that had been ignited, burning away quietly so that they can be warm. The many auditoriums had the same design. Perfect hideout for Linka, of course.

She entered into one of the auditoriums, taking the girl with the clean dress along with her. "Get in."

The first thing Linka did was punch Lynn the Third after holding the door open for her. "Ow! What did you do that for?!" Lynn the Third had rubbed her face tightly, sucking her teeth in pain. "Ahhh..."

"Looking at how clean you look, I can only guess where you're from," Linka hissed.

Lynn the Third noted Linka's perception. "Okay, okay fine! My family worked for the Prime Federation, okay?! But-" She sat her ass down at one of the seats. "It wasn't willingly, nor a selfless act. They were coerced into it... And despite the perks..." She picked at her dress.

It was enough to alarm Linka, but something was up. Something that the girl wanted from her. "The answer is no."

"Huh?"

"I'm not fighting them anytime soon if you're asking me to free your parents," Linka told her. "I have nothing at the moment, and I was just nearly killed, if you haven't forgotten!"

Lynn the Third had shaken her head, objecting to what Linka had assumed. "No, it's not like that! I don't want you to throw yourself into the war zone! I..."

She had long a story to tell, but it was the nature of it that would make Linka think her chains were just being pulled. "You what?"

"It's hard to explain why I had to come and see you... I had to find you and you alone. Not Lynn, not Luan, and not Lily. You."

Linka leaned her head upwards. "You're looking for a fighter, it seems like. No can do-"

"You stubborn fool!" Lynn the Third sank back in her chair, and then centered her attention behind Linka, eyeing the large screen. "I don't suppose you have anything on you I can use to write?"

"How do you even figure?" Linka scavenged around the seats, and only found a buck knife near the other side their row. "Will this due?"

The girl in the colorful dress waved it around, and then shook it firmly. "If it won't tear the screen up..." She jogged over to the front, and then began making two circles in a careful manner. "I understand if this might be confusing, so I'll simplify it as easily as I can."

Linka was too dozy and dirty for this shit, but she tried her best to give the girl her attention. "Go on," she urged the girl, dusting some of the dirt from her shirt.

"I know enough about you and the many perils you've faced with the other Louds. Question, do you believe in the theory of the multiverse?"

In the first circle, Lynn the Third marked the word "Us" in the center, then carved some wavy lines around that circle. That was to represent the world, and Linka had caught on rather slowly. "Okay... I guess I do," she said curtly.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why there is a second circle here," Lynn the Third went on.

"Not really," Linka sassed.

"This is another earth, equal to this one, where things have happened in parallel, in terms of events. Like, all of our history is applied to there, save for a tiny change, or a few, for that matter. Now..." She marked the same wavy lines around that shape as well. "That makes them a pair of parallel worlds, does it not?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"Twin earths, right?" The explainer of the potential mindfuck continued to write. "Things have happened here that I can't solve without bypassing the borders of science and reality. Ever heard of the Mandela Effect? It's just like that, but on a universal scale. For starters..."

Linka winced as the presenter was now writing words underneath her artistic display. No. Not words. Names.

 **Lina - Leda - Laika - Lois - Gloom**

"These names here, do you recognize them?" She asked.

Linka shook her head, confused but laughing a bit. "More L names, wow."

"Of course not... But they've existed before, Linka. They were all there at the start... And something happened."

Linka then crossed her arms, unsure of what Lynn the Third was trying to say. "Enough of this bull. Where did you even get the idea that-?"

"I was... Subjected to one of the Federation's many experiments," she revealed. "Only, they examined me beforehand, categorized me into a special one not meant for just anyone. I guess it was my intelligence and understanding of some certain sciences that made me the only candidate."

 _Lynn the Third stood in a room, wearing a plain white hospital gown. Only, she knew the place she'd been in was no hospital. Behind her, four men were synchronized into a line. They were well armed, rifles out. Another man, this one in a lab coat, had focused on activating what was in front of the scared girl; a pair of metallic pillars that were connected by a gate._

 _"Ummm..."_ _She had no choice in the matter, but to stand behind the gate and await her fate._

 _"I promise that this will not harm you. Please, go on."_

 _She was reluctant to do so, fearing for her own life and what not. "Okay..."_

 _She held her breath in and shut her eyes, whimpering weakly. The two pillars lit up a dark blue color, followed by a rising noise that sounded like a plane vastly approaching. She tightened her face, and then her body._

 _"Hold still! Hold still, little one! Magnificent! Magnifi-"_

 _The overlapping voices of astonished chattering switched off in an instant, and Lynn the Third dared to open her eyes. She made a grave mistake, for what she lay witness to was truly something scary. But, it was also an experience to behold._

 _She wandered into the endless black abyss, but wasn't falling through it. She was curious now that she overcame the scary layers of the dark. She circled around- And it was when she swung an arm that she felt something icky. She couldn't see it at first, but when she brought it up to her face, the black gooey substance changed its color into a light blue one._

"I was... I was everywhere, but I was nowhere at the same time! And that, that nasty stuff in my hands, it like, absorbed into my skin! I thought I was on an alien planet, but..."

 _The girl freaked out when the goo entered her body, and tried to shake it off hysterically. "Get off me, get off-" A cold touch then entered her brain, and then a collection of memories started to cave in over her own. She froze and watched the slideshow go on in her mind._

Linka raised an eyebrow. "You do know how fictional this sounds like, right?"

"Hey, this happened, and it felt me wondering something. Look, this, all of this, it's not supposed to be this way."

 _Lynn the Third was still processing what she was seeing, but the mental images and clips were happening too fast to make sense off. She saw a teenager with a bull headband brandishing a pistol to a goth-looking girl. Another were two women, one in a green and black suit, and the other in a fully purple suit, literally running fast while fighting. A Russian redhead girl then replaced the image, chasing a white-haired girl in a hoverboard. This one looked like Linka, but had a blue streak marked at the front of her hair. Words. Names. Yells. Laika. Lois. Gloom. Lyle. Bethany. Too many to count, and too many to remember._

 _It stopped with a final scene._

 _It was most of them, the Louds, the clones, and the many allies they had earned on the way. Together, standing against a metallic entity. It looked like a great battle that was just about to start. The scene then swapped to the conclusion of the battle. Most of them were down, and Linka was there, crawling her way to someone Lynn the Third couldn't make out._

 _The metallic figure had then rose into the air, and snagged several of the defeated from the ground. "Behold, my omnipotence! And I personally declare the rebirth of this universe!" And it ended with a flash of light._

"So... What, someone reset the world?"

"No, not just reset. All the history of the Louds' ordeal with the world still only partially come to pass, as I've come to know overtime. But, not everything happened like from what I've seen in those images, so it begs the question, what did the hit of the reset button really do? And for what reason?"

"Beats me, but I don't buy this-"

"Well, how did I find you, huh?! I found out the address of the house, which is actually classified intel in the Prime Federation. I still question why they added that to begin with, data wise."

"Hmmm..." Linka scratched her chin.

"And I'll admit, didn't think they'd try and kill you."

"Okay, but, why me?" Linka asked again.

 _There was indeed some grisly images where Linka's head was frozen from a cry-grenade, and then shot dead. It was faint but that was seen, and the spectator winced at it. But Linka was somehow alive in the following images. She was fighting just as much as Lincoln and Lemy had, and that had wondered if Linka was somehow an exception or was immune to staying dead. And it was also because Lynn the Third believed she and Linka could somehow fix this._

"Because I saw you died once, but you were alive again. Alive to the end."

"Oh... Nice," Linka cocked a smirk.

"And maybe you are a very important piece to this, hence why I was able to save you this time."

"Okay, say I believe you. Say I believe that this is not the true world, then what is this?"

"Either..." Lynn the Third added question marks above the carved circles. "Either this is the reset earth or this isn't. I can't know for sure at this point."

"What, uhh... What makes you think that? And how could you be able to tell?"

"Okay, so, this earth, much of the original earth's history has happened here, but not all. Perhaps this really is the one, but there would have to be more or most of the original folk whom we've come to know. That's these people here, whose names I've written." She pointed to the names.

"Uh-huh..."

"But I've looked into your history after having seen all of that. I compared, and found that you knew some people here who hadn't existed back then. There was no Lucky Loud, there was no Ventura family, there was no sentient machine named Derek, and there was no Antonucci and the Agency."

"Antonucci? Is that the damn director dude's name?"

"Uh, yes. Did you not know?"

"They're the government. What do you think?"

"I sense this is a rhetorical question..."

"And you said you were smart," Linka sneered. "But go on."

"My own theory is that, if non-existent people were added to this world, then maybe it works the same way vice versa. What I mean by that is, what if the missing people ended up in other worlds? Maybe the missing portions that the pre-reset world sent the fragments of those missing pieces throughout the universe, forcing them to be part of a new reality. Do you understand?"

Linka almost drooled. "So you're saying the earth that underwent the change also had some of the inhabitants and... Uh, events split off into alternate universes?"

"That is the logical inference I perceive to be the truth. Like, for example, say a drug was created in the main earth. The reset could taken that out of its future equations, and moved it elsewhere for someone else to have created. Or maybe one event that happened before, like the death of someone happening just the same in two different worlds. And this did change the course of the multiverse, either by adding the fragments into already existing worlds, or the fragments are big enough to be their own world."

"So... Okay, I think I get it. So it's like a bag of popcorn that exploded among a table of plates..."

"Well, in simple terms, yes. Yes, that is exactly it!" Lynn the Third gave Linka a clap of applause. "Well said, Linka!"

It only made her head hurt, in all honesty, she did understand, but only just barely, for that matter.

"Long story short, you've been living a semi-false life, and so have your family members, this world is either real or a fragment of the explosion that followed. Considering I didn't see myself, it is only able to be deduced that I'm not part of it." She tucked her hands inside her sowed-on pockets, digging for warmth. "I'm getting the chills now."

"You blame that... All of that, for why this is happening?" Linka asked head on.

"Well, yes. This shouldn't be remotely occurring to begin with, but it is what it is. I want to take you back to the Prime Federation so that you can-"

And just like that, Linka saw past the ruse and immediately labeled her the over-the-top scoundrel who was just spreading her a good story just so that the bad guys would be able to capture her. "No fucking way!"

"Linka, no!" The poor girl broke into a run, circling around the auditorium to shake Linka off. "I know how this sounds, but you have to believe me!"

Linka only had the mind to kill the deceiver. "Stop running, then!" She goaded.

They both couldn't see the two black anomalies that formed above them, hiding from the range of the fires from some of the barrels. Of course, the booming thunder sound had stopped Linka momentarily. "What?"

Then followed the blue lightning rods that grabbed both Linka and the other girl, lifting them up from the floor.

Lynn the Third was screaming out to Linka. "THE DISTORTIONS! THESE ARE DISTORTIONS, LINKA! SOMEONE HAS MADE A HOLE IN THE-" That was all Lynn the Third was able to say before disappearing forever. Linka had left as well, into an entirely new reality.

She looked to find a very much alive Lucky, and a happy Lupa looking cheery to see Linka again. But all Linka could picture was the Lupa who had been working for the bad guys, the same one who blamed Lincoln for the deaths of her clone sisters. "LUPA!"

Of course, Lupa had superiority over her, and had sent her knocking down to the ground, only to be pinned. "Linka?"

"I'LL KILL YOU AGAIN!"

"A-again?" Lupa gulped, morbidly confused.

The screams had definitely gotten the attention of the Loud collective, all gathered up outside, only to be astounded that Linka had appeared again, after Lupa and Lucky had dropped the devastating news of her death. Lynn squealed in amazement, and Lily called out the dead girl's name. Linka, still pinned down, looked at the gang of girls.

Things were weird already, but seeing some of them, she realized that maybe the silly girl who vanished might not have been so crazy-sounding after all. Lana was there, and Luan had her legs back. But Lynn seemed to be limping, which meant that something happened to her. Something that was different than she knew of. Either she was dead, and these were the ghosts of all the others, or she ended up in a faraway land, distant from home.

Lupa grew closer to her, moving in a careful manner. "Linka, stop. It's me, it's Lupa."

No sign of the hideous Medi-Sin concoction had shown its nasty side effects on Lupa's face. It was her, in full control, and Linka eased up. "What the shit...?"

"Are you done?" Lupa pulled her hands away, stepping back cautiously. "How are you...?"

Linka stood up, only just curiously eyeing Lupa, and then the rest of the Louds. Seeing Liberty among the faction had brought about a nasty case of blood boiling deep inside. She recalled wjat Liberty had done many years ago, wondering how and why she was still alive. "You... I killed you," she threw down onto the genderbent. "What's going on?"

"You look like you need a shower and new clothes, is what..." Lupa suggested.

"Heh, same old snarky remarks, huh?" Linka looked down to her messy clothes again.

Lupa went over to Lynn, who had alresdy figured out how Linka had returned. "Is this the one we lost?"

Lupa shook her head with disappointment. "Not ours, she tried to attack me. This one is from a different-"

"Ahh! This is making my head spin!" Lynn complained. "Worlds, alternate versions of us, gahh! I never signed up for this!"

"Can it, sister!" Lupa spat. "I don't think she's against us, but we've gotta fill her in."

"You want to use... Her? Get her to join? You'd have to explain everything to her if she really is another Linka."

"Yeah... That's a complex task, but I'll do it myself. Whatever she went through, it's irrelevant, so I'm not gonna ask unless she shares. You guys do the same."

"Right..." Lynn couldn't keep her eyes off of Linka. She knew nervousness and great concern all over again with this clone being back into the fray. So maybe she was terribly dumbfounded to know that Nnyl had ended Linka in such a horrible fashion, and that one was gone for good. What could this alternate Linka offer? A more brutal sense of needing to put down all foes, no matter how small the threat level? Was she a Linka who had fought the Louds even? Them? Her?

She did have so many questions, only for the sake of trying to establish if this Linka was too hostile or not, but didn't dare to ask. If not for ending up in the world where Lacy and Lincoln were alive, she'd have been thinking this was a part of Lupa's master plan that she let slip this way. Dimension traveling. Who would have thought?

"Yo, Linka, let's talk for a minute." Lupa had gone on to give her a lift onto the roof right after herself. Lupa sat down immediately, but Linka was preoccupied with the scenery, looking around the neighborhoods. Lupa wondered what made it amazing for Linka to gaze upon. "Hey, something wrong?"

"No... No, it... It looks all... Safe..." Linka paused and raised a hand to her face. "It's peaceful, with no sign of a war..."

Lupa just followed along, wondering what the context was. Linka number two might've had it rough in the long run, no doubt, and Lupa knew it was that bad if Linka tried to attack her. "War... Yeah, there hasn't been much fighting."

"Anything around here called the Prime Federation?"

Prime... Federation. It sounded like a threat, unless it wasn't one. "No, I'm not familiar with that, sorry."

Linka didn't seem entirely happy. "So... I didn't see Luna here... Or..." She then gulped before finishing. "Myself."

Lupa got up and let out a long sigh. "Look, they're in trouble, Linka. We are, all of us here." She stood back up and pointed to the two graves at the end of the yard. "See those?"

"Who died?"

"Luna... Luna, and you. Our you, of course. And this was recent..." The wind blew Lupa's hair to the front of her face, to which she brushed back to the side of her face. "We've come across another clone, a new one no one has ever heard about, one that dear old sports-loving Lynn has chosen to keep secret. This one is trying to kill the Louds and every pheno in the world."

"Really? A clone?" Linka scoffed and crossed her arms. "They couldn't stop with us four, so it just had to keep going. Who is it this time?"

"It's one bases off of both Lynn's and Luna's cells," Lupa informed.

"Wait, Lyra is here? And she's giving you grief?" Linka was pleased to see that a mission had just presented itself in front of her. "I never liked her anyway," she laughed.

"Whoa, wait. Who's Lyra?" Lupa was confused, thinking there was a mix-up of identities. "No, this is one named Nnyl. Well, she's calling herself that, but-"

Linka wheezed. "Nnyl!" And she then broke into a laugh. "That name is awful!"

"It's literally Lynn's name in reverse-"

"Awful!"

Lupa just raised her shoulders. "Well, okay, but yeah. She's powerful, and not even Luna or Lynn were able to handle her. I thought, maybe you could, you know, help us out, and then we'll try and solve your little... Predicament."

Linka set her hands to her hips. "You want me to help you take out a clone who isn't even threatening me, just so that you can extend your meaningless lives?"

Lupa grew appalled. This was not like the Linka she knew. No, this wasn't even that same Linka. What could she have expected from the alternate? "Meaningless?"

"I don't have to do anything, because none of you are really my own Louds-"

"So you've pieced together where you are, huh?" Lupa pondered, curiously aroused by how Linka had come to that conclusion.

"I have a hunch, yeah, but I don't think I'm going to last any longer here. I'll just wait here..." All that ran in her mind was Lynn the Third's final message. She mentioned something about distortions. What did that mean to a girl like her?

"Linka, Lily has a child! Lily carries the future of this bloodline! That's what Nnyl is threatening to take away! A baby, Linka! A fucking child!"

Linka just gave Lupa the deadened expression on her face. When she eyed the pair of gtsves again, Lupa could tell she seemed to reconsider it. "Hmmm..."

"Linka was all for it. Hell, she was the one who urged me to bring myself to fight her when I doubted myself. No way I could go toe-to-toe with someone that strong, but Linka- I mean, you- You talked me out of my own doubt. I'm here to save a couple of kids Nnyl's targeting, and that includes the son of the man I once loved."

"Son of the man...-" Linka snorted. "When did little Lupa become such a big woman?"

Lupa blushed and looked away, scratching the back of her neck. "It's t-totally not like that..."

"It sounds totally like that! You gonna tell me, right? Even if it's the second time?"

"I don't see why not," Lupa decided. "I'll cut to the chase."

The two both sat down at the same time. Lupa brought her knees closer, resting her head over them. "First, I gotta know... I left the Louds after... Liby and Lacy died at the hands of Lincoln. Did that happen the same way?"

Linka exhaled sharply, recalling the same events that unfolded dramatically. "Oh, yeah. You offered my a chance to come with you, and... Yeah, you did mention a place that you found. Is that where you've been?"

"For thirteen years, yeah."

"My Lupa had disappeared after that day, but she resurfaced as one of Lisa's lackeys."

"What? Lisa was still alive? How is that possible?"

"Not just Lisa, but a whole regime, the next big thing just beyond her Black Network regime. That's what the Prime Federation is, a dictatorship. Whatever they did, they exposed her to Medi-Sin, and fucked with her head. She came after us, killed Lyra- That's our Nnyl- And I killed her."

Now Lupa had the context. "Oh, huh... Fucked with my head..."

"You asked me how that's possible, it happened under our noses. We thought we got that Ventura bastard back then at that base, but he survived the explosion and later freed Lisa from prison. No one suspected otherwise because we all were under the assumption they died in different bombings long ago. We were all dead wrong."

Luna was the one who ended Vince Ventura in this world, which was urged on from the visiting Lynn and Luan from the future who had instructed her to do this. Lupa had been briefed about it, and from that, she gathered that their future and the timeline of Linka's earth were the same one. "I think I know what the difference is between this and yours... Not that it matters anymore."

"Not to you..." Linka developed a brooding mood. "I'm still fighting... Well, I was fighting, until Lynn decided to kill me. She buried me right through the ground, but it'll take more than that to keep me down."

"Lynn? Really?" All the more curious Lupa was becoming. "That's fucking harsh. Well, feel free to punch Lynn as vengeful compensation."

"So... You're down a me, a Luna, and Lynn who's looking like she can't really walk?"

"I'm the only defense while Lynn is fully back on her feet, which will be soon, I'd imagine. I had the master plan all set for us to carry out, and it can only work with us and no other. Nnyl thinks im dead, and, combining that with you being part of the surprise wildcard, we have more of a chance to win!"

Linka wasn't snatched from one place to another; it felt more like she was being borrowed to wrap up someone else's war, while she knew the homefront was still under fire. Not much success with the resistance that kept defying the many forces of the Prime Federation. Chances of Major Flip and his faction having survived up to now was so little, so dim. Linka was much of a difference, and that difference was gone. But... Was she truly making a difference? Were her own valiant, brutal efforts meaningless after all? What difference could she possibly make on her own here, guided and led by a completely different version of the evil Lupa?

"You really want me in, huh?"

"I do. And... I accepted that it would be me, and me alone to carry it out. But here you are! And I feel like the weight of the world has been taken off my shoulders! I need you, just like everyone else needs you! Come on, Linka!"

Was there any way to return home? Did the girl in the dress have the intelligence to gain all the answers to do so? Was she... Was she meant to be here to answer a cry of distress? Lupa was sounding a little desperate, despite her being often one who never cracked under pressure. The only way to make such a thing possible was if something in her life was being threatened. The son she mentioned, the one from a dear lover had fallen under her protection, and as a target for the fiendish clone known as Nnyl. Lupa got soft, but not soft enough to beg Linka like this. Things were different, dangerous. A wild gamble to bet on.

No, Lupa had something to lose... Someone to lose. Unlike Linka.

"The Louds, the phenos... And everyone who lives in Royal Woods- Those are who Nnyl is threatening. And.. It's not just Nnyl..."

"Not just-? You're gonna have to tell me everything that has happened. And I mean everything."

"Time isn't really what we have anymore. I can explain on the way to Royal Woods- Yes, we'd have to go there as fast as possible." Lupa wrapped arms around Linka and took her down to ground level. "Look after the kid," Lupa suggested, pointing to Lucky.

"Uh, why is he sleeping?"

"My guess is he's been knocked out," Lupa thought as she hurried inside the wrecked house to get the gang to return back to the Agency.

Linka walked over to Lucky, moving his head with her foot. She wondered if this one was a virgin still, but not opting to offer him the same service she had already. The clone went down on her knees and then slapped him hard on his face. "Good to see you again, Luck," she greeted him casually as he began to wake up.

"H-huh?" He sat up, feeling dizzy for some strange reason. Dizzy, and then a little numb from his mouth, around his arms. "H-heeeyyyyy! You are returned toooo laiiii-fuhhh..."

"Ugh... Are you on drugs-" Lucky grabbed her face and toyed with it like clay. "You are reeeeel!"

Linka pushed him away hard. "Hey, what are you doing? Cut it out!"

"I muh-missed yeeeeewww..." Lucky then grabbed a handful of dirt from beneath his feet, smiling like a goof.

"If you even think about dirtying me up further-" Linka covered her face as Lucky had thrown it away at her. "Hey!"

"Alright, alright! We're all going back, hold your horses!" Lynn shouted at Lupa. "Thank God this house is wrecked. When the agents come, they'll buy that there was a fight between you guys and went separate."

"Are they still pretending to be looking for Linka and me?" Lupa laughed. "Actually, I don't even know how I'm fit into their scheme, but it can't be good. So, uhhh..."

The only elephant in the room as big as the second Linka's arrival was Liberty's own. No one could bring her back and explain to the Agency how she was resurrected and running around with no clear memory. Other than that, there was a chance they would cram her into their malicious agenda, and Liberty would really end up dying this time.

"We can't take her with us, so I had an idea-"

And Lupa knew just what it might've been. "No, no fucking way!"

"Yes way! Why have a team of two when you can have a third? You, that Linka, and Liberty! She can be of help-"

"Are you forgetting what she did?! Nearly kidnapped Linka, and tried to kill you all! Linka killed her, so who the fuck brought her back to life?!" Lupa hadn't noticed that the girl she spoke ill had been seated at the kitchen, hearing Lupa's rant along with the other sisters.

"Oh..." Liberty whimpered sadly. "D-did that really happen?" She went out of her way to stand up and try to apologize.

"Hey, no, you don't have to get up," Luan protested. "Lupa, please be calm."

"Tell me to fucking-"

"We understand your concern, but we're a hundred and ten percent positive Liberty is an ally now,' Lynn eased.

"Coming from the girl who got Lincoln killed!" Lupa spat, but then relieved herself of the anger, and retreated from an impending fight. "The answer is no. Not her, never her."

"Liberty here is a speedster, which is useful to the both of you. She can match Nnyl's power, so givr her a chance."

"Hug? You want me to help you go after this Nnyl person?" Liberty asked them.

Lupa held out a hand. "There you go, there you go with trusting the enemy! That's how we'll get killed!"

"Lupa, stop it! Just throw her in with you two! It makes just as much difference as Linka being back in board!"

"Fucking bitch, that's not even my- _Our_ Linka!"

"We know that!" Lynn was tired of the yelling, and switched off her booming voice. "I just... You have to do this. This isn't a game, Lupa, so all the rules don't apply. You're going to take Liberty, and that's final."

"What if I say no?" Lupa dared.

"Then, we might up getting killed," Linka answered as she was dragging Lucky into the living room. "Hey, so you can count me in, as long as she's in as well. We do need the advantage, and didn't you say Nnyl bested Lynn, Luna and me as well?"

Lupa went, "Tch!" as Lynn just covered her face with great shame.

"Oh, uhhh, Lucky here is off his marbles. I'd imagine he does drugs, cause he was acting stoned. I had to punch him just the one time, sorry."

"Linka, no!" Lynn berated.

"Linka, yes!" Lupa hailed. "Good to have you on board, but... You are seriously down with Liberty joining us?"

Liberty smiled at Linka as a token of gratitude.

"Should you try something funny, I'll find a bigger rock, okay?"

Liberty retracted her smile, scared shitless.

"Huh... Works for me." Lupa was okay with the results, up until she remembered Lucky's role. "Damn it..."

"How hard did you punch him?!" Lynn demanded to know.

"Uhhh... I used a five-hour strike," she revealed.

Lupa narrowed her eyes at Linka.

"What? I've mentally measured my punches and their effects. Super serum in my blood, and all that, you know?"

Lupa walked away with jealously.

"We needed Lucky to deliver an EMP device to the battlefield," Lynn informed. "It might've been effective to just get this done as soon as possible!"

"Oh, oops..." Linka shrugged her shoulders. "So, when is this battle happening?"

"We... We don't know..." Lynn admitted.

"I would say we'd go now to it. Lupa, you mentioned Royal Woods was at stake, right? So from the context, that's where it's happening, right?"

"Yeah... Why?"

Linka took out three round teleporters from her shirt pocket. "What are we waiting for? These ones specifically take us to Royal Woods. Convenient, right?"

"LINKA, YOU MAGNIFICENT, BEAUTIFUL BASTARD, YOU!" Lupa cheered. "We're going to win!"

* * *

 **AN: Forget the other one-shot, it was too dumb to put into words. Also, I just want to kinda finish this rather quickly at this point. So, here we go, the prologue of war is next.**


	34. War Zone, Part One

**July 21st, 2039 - Afternoon**

The plan was recognized between the family Loud. Linka, Lupa and Liberty had used one of the three teleporters and returned to the new and improved Royal Woods, and the rest of the Louds had used another and returned to the Agency to lower any chance of suspicion that might be in order. The third one could not be used by them, so Lynn had fetched them a regular one. They would go and run away the second Lynn, who was closer to gaining back her legs now, would get the order to detain Nnyl. The strategic mission's final part involved Lynn taking over Lucky's prominent role of delivering the EMP to the trio. All the phenos would be free, and led away when all four girls redirected the attention of both Nnyl and the Agency right at them. And everything else was a tough gamble that could only end two ways.

The town was calm when the three had arrived the day before, lying in wait for the initial attacks. Nnyl would be dropping her army first, followed by the Agency forces. Something like that, at least. Nothing had happened for the rest of the day, and the chances of it being today were gradually higher than before.

Linka and Lupa were having mochas, sitting comfortably in a Starbucks shop. Liberty was given the cold treatment and excluded from having one. The place was half full and quiet at the time. Linka had taken notice to the people inside and outside. Innocents in the form of parents with their kids, some passing cyclists, and daily drivers going to work, and some coming back from work. This was life that she had come to forget in the flames of war. Yes, the war that took everything from everyone. The war that was being applied here by a fiend in green. If she could really make a difference... Linka would be the end of Nnyl, no questions asked.

Lupa sipped her yummy drink down, eager to finish it before the chaos had begun, however it would. "So... This is it, girls."

Liberty nervously tapped her nails on the table. "Y-yeah..."

"We don't need cold feet, Liberty," Lupa strictly advised. "Get your head in the game and do as we say."

"Or, you know, get killed for good."

"Hey, th-that's mean of you... I just want to help-" Liberty whimpered.

"And you'll get your chance, just like I told you," Linka hissed. "Get your shit together, unless you're familiar with the fighting. And I know you are, I've seen it up close."

"Okay, so what? We're gonna wait it out until the fighting begins? Can't we-?" Linka waved her hand to the side of her neck, non-verbally telling her to lower her voice. "Can't we perhaps evacuate the people?"

"Not enough time," Linka countered. "Plus, it'll only speed up the siege if Nnyl gets wind of the activity. It's a no-no."

"I... I gotta go use the ladies room." Liberty got up and took to the bathroom, making Linka facepalm with grief.

"She's the complete opposite of the girl I killed," Linka shared with Lupa. "And she looks just the same as before, too! What's up with her return? Did you guys do something?"

Lupa raised her shoulders. "I haven't the fuckiest idea, but it can't be good. I mean, I don't know where they found her, but Lynn and I were away while Luan, Lana, Lily and the brat had met up with her. You can ask them the story yourself, but I have a feeling that they don't know either."

"Maybe it's fate, like my own coming?" Linka suggested, staring right at Lupa's eyes. Then she laughed along with Lupa, having joked about it.

"Yeah, right! If fate was acting with us, she'd not be here!" Lupa harshly giggled.

"So does that mean that... Is my own Liberty alive? Or is this another alternation as well?" Linka placed a hand on her head. "This is legitimately painful to try and figure out!"

"Beats me, but I do know something. It means my Linka, not you, has never killed someone. Was this Liberty resurrected or was she saved? Look... Nnyl's got time traveling technology as Lynn shared with me. Maybe it was her behind Liberty being brought back."

Liberty had washed her face gently after applying a layer of water around, and then used a towel to lightly pat her face all over. Behind her, a stall had opened, and out came Nnyl in a creepy fashion. Liberty was startled for a bit, thinking Nnyl was due for a costume party. "Oh, hey! Is it Halloween already?" Liberty had no idea what time of the year it was, but she assumed it might've been the end of October. "That's a really cool costume. It almost looks like the-"

Nnyl zoomed behind the genderbent Lincoln, injecting a black chemical at the nape of her neck. "I need you to wake up from your amnesia now."

Liberty reacted violently to the chemical, falling hard onto the floor. She squirmed as if she were having a seizure, and Nnyl was only just checking herself out. "You're right, this suit is cooler than Lynn's." She also turned around. "Does this make my ass look too big, though?"

Liberty's body vibrated at superhuman levels before she came to, and went back up. "F... Fuck... That was p-painful!"

"Yeah, I'll bet it is!" Nnyl agreed. "You got it all now?"

It was all coming back to thr genderbent now. "Yeah, yeah-" She touched her face all around, and faced the mirror. "Not a scratch or a cut! Amazing! So, you were there?"

 _Nnyl stood behind a tree on that dark night, peeking her head out while Liberty was trying to make off with Linka. There was some inaudible chatter between the two, before a couple of rounds had gone off. The next thing Nnyl saw was Liberty being defeated and killed before her. Killed by none other than Linka herself._

 _The young clone had left the body to be devoured by nocturnal predators, or whatever was protocol from the Agency. But that was not at all Nnyl's plans tonight. She borrowed the body, and decided to give the fallen speedster a second chance._

"I thought the note would have helped boost your memory back into place. How... How are you even here?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know, do you?" Liberty teased. "The one called Lupa is here to try and stop you."

"What? Lupa is alive?!" Nnyl grew visibly angry.

"Didn't you see her on the way here?"

"I didn't come through the entrance, Liberty. Had a tracker on you, was just about to meet you on the way out-"

"Convenient, so... Can I have the honors of killing her?"

"Sure! I'm about to release my minions right now!" Nnyl held her wrist to her face, and beeped a button on a gray watch she was wearing. "Come to the library when the fireworks begin! See you then!"

Liberty felt around for the tracker. "Hey, could you at least-" Nnyl had phased through the wall and vanished without answering Liberty. "I expect no less from Lynns."

Lupa had finished sipping her drink down. "Ahhh, this is still good."

Liberty had returned, but had so with a different facial expression placed onto her face.

Linka caught it and was alarmed silently. "Why do you look like you're wanting to murder me?"

Liberty replied with a silly laugh. "Oh, please! I could never harm you!"

Lupa looked out the window, and the calm spectacle of the outside world shifted into the dreadful scenery they immediately recognized as the stage one of genocide. People were running, cars were skidding, crashing into each other, and some close and distant rumbling began to upset the peace of the quiet town. Lupa stood up as the other patrons around them diverted their attention from their phones and laptops. "It's starting!"

Linka and Liberty followed cue. "Damn right it is!"

Without warning, some explosions began decorating the street with fire and flying debris everywhere. A gray Honda was knocked out from the road, flipping right through the window of the coffee shop, crushing one of the patrons. Linka flipped the table and ducked down behind for cover. "All of you, protect yourselves!" She shouted across the wrecked shop.

"Wh-where are the phenos?!" Lupa demanded. "Can't see anyone out of the-"

The roof caved in right over the counter. The teenage cashier behind it had barely made it out of a crushing death. Lupa had her eyes locked upward, and saw a figure come crashing down over the debris. "There!"

"Well, do something, you two!" Linka urged.

Their first pheno was that of a regular man in regular clothes, definitely with super strength. It was all Linka assumed he had, but there was a headband-like device on his forehead, with an antenna attached to it. Lupa had also noticed the device. She simply snagged it out of his head, which had then made him fall like a zombie. "These are the mind control devices!"

"Well, that's one in like, how many exactly?!" Linka took to the streets, scouting on both ends of the street. Many scared townsfolk ran in both directions, with some going into the other buildings around her. She spotted another pheno, this one a younger kid by the looks of it, waving around claws for hands, and going around stabbing as many people as he could.

Linka reached the nearby car, a blue Prius, and elbowed the windows in. She took a few shards of glass in her hands and ran up to the attacking pheno. "Hey, you!" She challenged the pheno.

Lupa and Liberty followed Linka closely behind. "Watch our backs, speedy!"

"Of course!" Liberty faked, falling into the role of defender. She turned her back to them and then ran away. "I'll be lookout-!"

"No, wait-" Lupa protested, but Liberty had left the scene in the blink of an eye. "Damn!"

Linka had already dropped the pheno slave, having jumped on him and inserted the glass shard through the side of his head, rather than removing the silly headband device. "One down!"

"Linka, we're here to save phenos! Not kill them!" Aggravated was the Lucy clone at how Linka's idea was about taking care of the problem. This Linka had no sense of morality, no more than the one Lupa had come to known. The girl had seen uglier things in life than Lupa could barely imagine, and that had undoubtedly shaped her to become more of a monster than even the late Lincoln had ever been at his max.

Linka threw the corpse away from her, continuing to check her surroundings. "Don't expect there to be clean results! This is war, Lupa!"

"No, this is genocide! A massacre of both innocent people and phenos! The real target is Nnyl and the Agency! Them, Linka!" The two girls of white hair grimly stared at each other, shooting daggers over how things were going as the people around them kept running around, panicking for their lives. Through those screams, through the intensity of the heated situation that kept escalating by seconds, Lupa sought out for a solution that didn't end in death. "Radio station!"

"What?" Linka thought she was being random. "No time to play music!"

"No, I mean we can send out distress calls and guide all the townsfolk to defend themselves, and to know how to defuse the mind-controlled phenos! Up until the EMP hits, that is!"

"Hmm, that's not bad. Your plan, you go!"

"Dang it! Liberty's run off!" Lupa pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "I'd have to go on foot!"

"No, you don't," Linka corrected. "You can fly or..." She then pointed to another cat that had been abandoned by its driver.

"Why not you? I just know you're gonna leave a bloodbath behind you!"

Linka smirked. "Damn right I will!"

"Spare the phenos, please! You might end up killing the boy I wish to save!"

Linka forgot about it. She placed a finger on her chin. "Hmmm, describe him to me."

"LINKA-" But Lupa knew if Linka didn't know, she could not harm them. "There's him and two other kids as well."

"All kids... Got it!" She had kid phenos exempt from her list.

"Linka-!"

"You'd better hurry!" Linka shouted while running off on her own. "Meet me at the arcade!"

 **Agency HQ**

Lynn sat on the bed of her living quarters, head down while she was waiting for the alert. Anything could happen in between the start of Nnyl's assault and the time Lynn arrived there. The forces that would follow her were due to betray and kill her, as well as all phenos they'd spot. She had the third teleporter laying on the side of her bed, wondering what use that would be later. Perhaps there wouldn't be any purpose for it, but concealed it on her suit anyway.

No purpose... For the third one...

 _"Lynn Loud, you are wanted in the debriefing room immediately!"_ The intercom was still as booming as ever. Lynn took to the hallway, recognizing the dastardly cue of the malevolent agenda. The other sisters, and two young nephews, had circled inside the same room, keeping each other calm and steady for the race. The race that was just commencing. "You know what to do," Lynn advised them.

Luan and Lana developed serious faces. Luan held their way out of there, to a secret hiding place until it would blow over. The blue portal expanded out in front of the room, and Lynn stepped back. Lily and her child neared it first. "Don't die, okay? I only have one sister named Lynn."

"Count on it," Lynn promised Lily.

Luan followed second after Lily. "Whoop some ass for us, and for Luna!"

"Be safe, you guys! I'll be back for you! Count on i!" As they all left, Lynn's mind wandered back to some words Lupa had said before. There was a leash on the speedster alright, which disallowed her to go to Royal Woods and prevent Nnyl's own schemes. She couldn't have prevented it, but maybe she could get there in time to stop much of the killing. As fast as she could before the turncoats revealed themselves. Some of them, enough of them. But not all of them. No, she could not save all of them. But maybe Linka and company could hold their own and fill in for her.

As much as she didn't like the idea as of yet, Lynn found herself praying that they could accomplish what she wasn't able to yet.

Lynn headed to the elevator, making a quick stop at the advancements floor for a special delivery. She had gone out and wandered about the floor, looking for-

"Bingo!" She entered the arsenal room, seeking out cylinder shaped object of fifty pounds that Lynn knew was the pulse bomb. All the tech and toys were hung on the walls as if they were tools on the tool walls. ''Come to mommy!"

She had it in her hands and set it down carefully, turning around only to encounter a wall of Agents aiming pistols at her, not at all giving her a chance to escape. _"Stand down, Lynn! You are not going anywhere with that!"_

 _Damn them! How did they move so fast?!_ Lynn froze in place. "Easy now, I'm only curious about this device here. I wanted it for-" She had received her speed back already, which meant she was home free. But now that they had caught her, she need not pretend to follow their play. "-Myself!"

The firing began as Lynn ducked to the left, and raced right through the agents like a bowling ball taking down all the pins at once. They flew all around, quickly being bested by another speedster. Lynn grabbed the cylinder weapon, already racing back to the elevator.

 _"FINAL WARNING, LYNN! PUT DOWN THE GRID CRIPPLING DEVICE AND SURRENDER NOW!"_

"Like hell I will! You'll have to catch me first before I do such a thing!" She let herself be known now, ultimately choosing her true allegiance with her family over these guys and their motives that threatened the other sisters. This isn't what Luna died for, and it would not be what they would die for either.

Lynn returned to her living quarters and escaped nearly clean with the device. Next stop was-

Lucky had come out like a drunk, completely spooking Lynn. "Awwwntie..."

"Hey, you're supposed to be far away!" She accidentally set off the teleportation portal while trying to sort this out. Lucky wandered into it before Lynn could even make a move. "N-no! Hey!"

She tried to pull him back, but her hands weren't able to reach out for him in time. The portal had closed just as she had retracted, and the delay was realized. "Shit! Lucky!"

No contingency but to run all the way to the battle, and no time to search the HQ for another teleporter if she really wanted it. "DAMN IT!" First thing was first; fighting her way out of command. Might've been a challenge. And it was when she peeked her head out to see laserbeams being fired at her. Tricky to escape this. _I hope you three are holding out better than I am!_

 **Royal Woods**

Lupa knew what car features did what, but steering the wheel and applying the correct pressure was the hard stuff she had yet to bother mastering for herself. Luckily she knew where the horn was, so she didn't hesitate to honk away at the scattered individuals who were running in and around the road. Lupa lowered the window and yelled at them further. "Get the fuck out of the way!"

The gunfire had begun right in that instance, causing Lupa to decrease her speed. Someone close by was fighting back on their own, and Lupa commended them. The firing had ceased, making her believe the person had been finished. She needed to get to the radio station as soon as possible, before Lemy wound up dead- Or worse. She didn't want to think about it, so she moved all human obstacles with swings from her arms. Then, she sped away from the town without stopping.

The radio station was just on the northern side of town, half a mile after exiting the border limit. Lupa checked the front mirror, already seeing black smoke fill the town's airs. Countless people had to have already died at this point, and Lupa was getting even more desperate.

The nice surprise of a redhead girl, dressed in a type of military uniform, shooting at Lupa with a P90 submachine gun just before reaching the outside of town had made Lupa halt to a screech. The bullets fired had only hit right through the passenger seat, sparing Lupa from harm, as she didn't see the girl at all. "Stop, you!"

Lupa stretched her hands out and tugged the attacking redhead from her position. "No, you!" Lupa forced her down on the hood of the car, taking the submachine gun for herself. "What are you doing?"

"Look there again!" The girl pointed to the back, prompting Lupa to take a look in the backseat. A poor elderly man was there, then vanishing before them. He had taken a nice bullet to the head before Lupa was able to be harmed. "Man invisible, I kill!"

Lupa had sweat come dripping down from her forehead. "Holy shit..."

"I ally!" The foreign girl claimed. "I here to help, take me with you!"

Lupa bobbed her head to the passenger seat. "Get in! I don't have a lot of time!"

Instead, Laika took out a pistol and went to the trunk. She opened it widely and then sat right on. "I cover, you drive!" She slammed a hand against the side of the car, signaling Lupa to get a move on.

Lupa sped away with the unlikely ally of a stranger in the trunk of someone else's car, not thinking much of it yet. "Hold on, you crazy farm girl!"

While Lupa was on her way to the radio station, Linka was holding onto her "promise" to Lupa, by going around and guiding all the townsfolk away from town. "Get out, all of you! Away from this town!" She even went as far as to push several of them to the right direction. "Get a move on!"

She had entered a sporting goods store and was arming herself with a tactical airsoft mask, and raided through some CO2 guns useful to get the attention of the ravenous phenos. She also found some big hunting knives that brought upon a gleeful smile to her face. "Oh, goodie."

The Christmas shopping was done, and she came out sporting only two gas-powered pistols. The time to reload them was time consuming for sure, so once she would run out, she'd switch to the knives hidden on either side of her, tucked away just underneath her orange shirt and blue skirt.

Two phenos had arrived when after Linka had come out, and on cue, the civilians were trying to hide within the buildings. Some pushed past Linka, heading into the store. "Arm yourselves! Arm yourselves and fight back!"

One pheno had some serious strength, as witnessed by Linka when that one, a man not even thirty years old by the look of it, had flipped a car to crush three fleeing civvies. Linka fired away at both of them as she ran along the sidewalk. She underestimated the second one, a girl who had flight abilities. Linka had run out of ammo when trying to hit the girl, wishing dearly that she had the same powers like Lupa. Linka dropped the guns and took out one of her knives too early, grabbed it by the blade, and calculated the impact point from her throw.

Liberty made her entrance, zooming past Linka. "Not so fast, Rambo!" Liberty ran up the building, then made a great jump from it, reaching the flying girl with no problem. "Gotcha!"

They both fell, but Liberty had shielded the girl with her own body right after the mind-control headband was removed. "Ow, ow, ow! My butt!"

The remaining pheno stood over Liberty, raising a foot in an attempt to crush her. Liberty squealed. "This is not part of the plan... Make it realistic," she whispered.

"Hey, get out of there!" Linka warned, racing to the speedster's aid. "You idiot!"

The pheno stomped, but Liberty moved her hands beneath his foot, seemingly blocking it. "I'm not dying yet!"

Linka drew her last weapon and aimed for the strong pheno's head, throwing it with a cry. "Nyah!"

The blade went through his chest, rather than the head. "Ugh..." The pheno moaned.

Liberty got the upper hand and threw him off balance. "Ha, got em!"

"Get that thing off of him!" Linka instructed.

"Right!" Liberty rolled the unconscious girl off of her and then flipped backwards, rolling over the stronger pheno's body, snagging the device from his head. "Boogity boo!"

Onlookers had already gathered at their behalf when the quick battle had ended. "L-look there!" One of them said. "Is that Velocity and Momentum?!"

"Those girls were blondes!" Another had replied. "You can see that they're both albino, even through the shorter one's mask!"

"Who cares? These are new heroines!"

"Hey, you! You s-saved us!"

An uproar of similar comments have risen, replacing the panic and fear from the citizens. "We're saved!"

"B-but that dirtier one was killing! The taller one is the real hero here!"

Linka grabbed the headband device from Liberty, growing wearing of the disadvantageous fighting. "Everyone, I need your attention!" She raised the mind-control device high above her head. "We can't take them all on, but you can help us if you fight back! Yes, you are being invaded by the same phenos that you've heard about on the news, but these phenos are not in their right mind! It is this technology that is controlling them, and we are the response to combat them! But we can't do this alone, so we need your help! You can take these things off of them!"

Liberty picked herself up amidst Linka's motivational speech. "Linka, y-you'd be putting them in danger-"

"We can't fight these super freaks!" One of the crowd members went. "What chance do we have?"

"Divided you will surely die," Linka went on. "But together you can win! And don't forget that we are here, and back-up will be coming! You fight your way-" She pointed outwards. "-To the edge of town, all of you! Arm yourselves to the teeth, gather all strays that you find along the way, and if you are truly brave enough to make a difference, I advise you all to search house after house for anyone trapped within the enemy lines!"

There was some silent hesitation between the crowd. They looked to each other, waiting for someone to say something. And some valiant soul had spoke up. "What the hell, right?" The person revealed themselves to be a scrawny young man with some sandy blonde hair and clothes that made him look like a mother; a turtleneck purple sweater mixed with some skinny jeans that made his posterior look like that of a girl's own. Another person grabbed him to protest his idea.

"Lyle, no," a blonde woman in a green sundress urged at his side. She was taller and more plump than him. She definitely had been eating a hell lot of spinach, maybe had been stealing his by the look of it. "Those are monsters," the woman feared.

"I'm down with the shrimp!" A third voice stated. "Get to Big Five's, they've got the tools!"

From there, the group of civilians began to rapidly move to the same destination.

"And don't worry about the phenos if you come across them! I'm sure they're lacking in combat skills!"

Liberty leaned against a car, checking on her nails. "That was something... You believe that they can fend off the phenos? Them, and not us?"

"I would hope so!" Linka triumphed. "Plus, they know where to target the phenos, I just hope they have luck on their side."

All Linka currently cared about is locating Nnyl. No description had been given to her by the others, but based on all the context, she had a similar physique to Lynn. Same features, same hair style, same fixation for winning. Someone with that mindset was just bound to be a challenge. But Linka had yet to find out how challenging this opponent would be. Now, just where would someone Like that hide out?

"What now?" Liberty asked. "Want me to free the phenos and guide people out?"

Linka was one with a heap of pride, not at all eager to request Liberty to stay and help her should Linka come across tougher foes. "Yeah, sure. Don't die, I'm going to need you."

Liberty wiggled her fingers, rushing back to the library rather than doing what she told Linka. Stage one was complete, and all Liberty had to do was keep Linka occupied enough to be away from the library and the outskirts of town until the Agency goons would arrive to lock it down. That was when both speedsters could make their escape, but only after Linka and Lupa were down. Linka, which Nnyl had no idea about yet. Linka, nor the full Loud plan. Liberty was taking a gamble by keeping shut from Nnyl, purely for the fun she could have. Apart from that, they had the advantage, and Liberty had yet to unveil her traitor card at them.

She rendezvoused with the clone in the green suit at the top of the library, charmingly waving her hand. "Oh, hi! I'm back, female Inertia!"

"What?" Nnyl had known that Liberty was basically off her marbles, so there was no point in associating with her on that level. "Never mind that, what's going on?"

"Linka is rerouting the people out of town. Killing phenos, saving lives. You know, being a murderous heroine! Ah yes, a heroine with white hair! Why, isn't that just dreamy?" She hummed happily.

"...You mean Lupa, right?"

Liberty bit her bottom lip and nodded with embarrassment. "Silly me! What did I say?"

"I didn't save you to be irrationally crazy! Any signs of the Agency?"

"Negatory, my noble leader, but erm..." She debated whether telling Nnyl about what Lupa was planning. "Hnnnnng... Guhhh... Well, what should I be doing? Killing those she's saving? Maybe taking control of some phenos? Or maybe vandalizing all the billboards around town? I saw one with Peter Popoff hosting a seminar here in Royal Woods. God, that guy is a scam artist..."

"LIBERTY!"

"Nile! Or... Hold on, how do you pronounce that? I only see 'Nnyl' and never hear a pronunciation! Oh, am I allowed to break the fourth wall now?" Yes. But Nnyl slapped her for that. "Nile it is!"

"Lupa stopping the phenos is bad! It's only complicating things!" Nnyl looked over the town, seeing much of it having already succumbed to death and destruction. "Get Lupa, and kill her! Then bring me her head, and only her head!"

"Aye aye, Captain Nile!"

"PRONOUNCED LIKE-!" Nnyl shouted. "Just go."

Liberty just giggled away, already running down, heading back to Linka. "Uhh, I've done that which you've asked me to. Well, I've more to do."

"Lupa might need some help getting back. Go to the radio station and help her if she needs it."

"Aye aye, Captain Linka!" Then, she was off running again, on her way to Lupa. Not to save Lupa, but to kill her. And then, soon would be Linka's turn. Liberty wanted that kill preserved just for her. And that was really the true reason she kept Linka's status from Nnyl.

* * *

 **AN: It's happening, y'all! It's really happening! You've reached the stunning concluding arc to the whole Nnyl story set in this fic! And there is only one way it'll end; in death! But... I can't, and I've never, guaranteed the safety of all the protagonists here. That's it about me; I don't make this a cheesy fic with cheesy lines and cheesy versions of the characters. I mean sure, my development skills might still need work in general, but it's not all goofy. No one who didn't earn a hard death will be spared from that, so prepare for the worse. I mean that.**


	35. War Zone, Part Two

**July 21st, 2039**

Lynn had warped just outside the remnants of the old house she and her perfectly imperfect family of many lifestyles and hobbies had lived in before the miserable fire had changed their lives. She remembered the pain and agony that living with that darkness had brought onto her life. That, and life had also rejected Lynn happiness with some other smaller things. Her own caretaker had passed before he could see the stray girl he took pity on and raised go off to marry and settle down. Why, it wasn't fair then, and it wasn't fair now.

That, and her infertility. That void, that injustice of keeping her own bloodline intact, stripped away before she could even come to realize it. Then came Lacy. Dear, sweet Lacy whom Lynn couldn't really accept or see as her own. That was one regret that she admitted to herself as the challenge that scared her. Not bothering to guide her. Not bothering to get to know her. And not bothering to help herself face her own demons.

And she went for that with Lynnette. Where did Lynn go wrong with her? No, Lynn never did wrong by her. It was them. It was her handlers who let Lynnette believe she was inferior to both Lynn and Luna, and as long as Lynn was around, Lynnette could never be the number one strongest among the two. Lynnette was flawed for that reason, only acting on Lynn's childish behavior and teenage personality. This was like young Lynn running around in Nnyl's body, never Lynnette. And this one tried different tactics. Brutal and effective, enough to make her feel herself superior.

Maybe there could be some exploitation from showing Nnyl the flaws of her persona. Lynn had gone too easy and lenient with her, and maybe it was time to harm the clone she had tried to pass off as her own. If only... If only Nnyl understood that Lynn cared for her. If only she knew that Lynn didn't want this for her. Not for any of them. That was why Lynn believed it was her mission to defeat Nnyl. Her, and not Linka nor Lupa.

Lucky was already running away, waddling like a duck. Lynn had already the EMP, but she'd have to go to the center of town to do so, and activate it from the highest building. Pity she lost her super strength for her speed, or she'd have no trouble carrying the thing for that distance. "Umph!" Lynn picked it back up with both arms and went on her way, chasing Lucky just down the streets. The bloodshed had indeed begun as she passed by nunelrous bodies, some of which had been cut up or mutilated heavily. This was only the work of one clone who renamed herself Nnyl. It made Lynn sick to ger stomach. "Oh, my God... Lucky! Stay close to me!"

 **Near the Radio Station**

Lupa was ascending the top hill of where she knew the place would be, but only there was a damn detour in the form of a flipped PG&E truck blocking the rest of the way, meaning she'd have to climb. She honked the horn and set the car to park. "Hey, we've hit a road block!"

"What is road block?" Laika moved out of the trunk and exmaned the obstacle. "Trees need cutting!"

"I can't move them in time, but we're close to the radio station! It's just a few steps up there!"

"Very good!" Laika began climbing over the truck, then quickly backed down, spooked by something. "Enemy, comrade Lupa!"

The clone hovered into the air just as the truck tilted once more, nearly crushing the redhead with a pistol. She had some skill, not at all an amateur. Lupa gathered more questions, but first thing was first. They encountered an obese pheno who's power seemed to come from chicken wings. "Big guy, I shoot! I not miss!"

But Lupa effortlessly snatched the headband from the pheno's head. When he fell and made the earth shake intensely, Lupa felt something was off. "It can't be this easy... It just can't be..."

"Comrade, we have mission to do!" Laika was already rushing uphill.

Lupa raced after her. "Just a minute! Who even are you?!"

"I am Laika Letenko of Sudak, but apparent not be my true origin. I come to help you after girl with glasses feed crazy story! Come here alone, sure not but..." She pointed upwards. "Comrades Warrior Women come here soon."

"You said my name?" Lupa wondered. "How do you know my name?"

"Come from future," Laika answered. "Know you, know Linka, know everybody Loud."

Future? This again? "By... Looking at the past, right? Did we make the textbooks?"

"What is textbook?"

A small square building with a satellite dish spinning around on top had come into view after some more tiring climbing. Lynn would have been proud of Lupa for sure of getting this type of exercise. "We're here!"

"Great! Uhh, why we here? I think arsenal is better, yes?"

"I don't need a weapon, cause I already am the weapon!" Lupa stated with absolute glory. "Besides, I'm here to send a message to the world, or anyone who's on the air. I'm surprised the news choppers are not circling around town yet."

Lupa bashed the entrance door in, walking in to see a bloodbath of three dead staff members sprawled on the floor, bodies all crumpled up in the most distorted ways possible. "Wow, Nnyl has thought of everything!" She picked herself up a headset from one of the corpses and wiped the blood off using her shirt. Then, she put them on and sat at the control panel. "Um... How does this work?"

She heard herself through the headset, and looked up at a flashing green sign that read; **On Air**

"Oh!" She squealed, looking for the right words to say. "Um, hello? C-can I have everyone's attention?" She paused momentarily, looking to the young foreign woman with nervousness. Laika returned a thumbs up and a nod at her, gun still rotating in her hand. "Royal Woods is under attack! I repeat, it is under attack, part of a orchestrated invasion led by an evil pheno who is mind controlling every other pheno in existence! And it's not just this, but a government agency is using the means of their own forces to wipe out all innocent phenos, and will frame a specific bunch. I'm not about to let this happen, and neither should you! If you can hear this, if you can hear me..."

 **Royal Woods**

 _"...We need all the help we can get."_

The broadcast had indeed reached the airwaves of countless radios that reached past the town's radius, playing on stereos of passing cars near the town, at the homes of curious residents who had seen the skies go smoke black, around some of the many police officers who were still fighting, and definitely by a marine battalion that mobilized right toward the town, armed with enough tanks and choppers to turn the tide. The Agency was now on the way to deploy their forces to link up with the marines, armed with anti-pheno weaponry. Even Linka was tuned into the station while she commandeered a green Jeep, going around and running over every hostile she could find.

She came across a patrol car coming up pretty fast on the opposite lane. Rather than hailing them down, Linka drove right into them, jumping into the backseat right before the collision. She jerked forward, smacking hard into the seats. For proper weapons.

The only officer from the cop car stumbled out dizzy. Linka knocked him out and put him in the backseat before taking off with a shotgun. _Finally, some real rounds this time._

Lucky appeared from the corner, running and laughing as the assaults continued. "H-hey, you're not supposed to-"

Lynn came following from behind, staggering about with the cylinder device in her hands. "Oh, Linka! How's the fighting going?"

"Cut the shit! What the fuck is the meaning of this?!" Linka grabbed Lucky and put him in a chokehold. "You had one job!"

"Relax, I'll call Lana to take him away!"

"And I see you have the EMP! Go on, activate the damn thing! I'll take him off of your hands instead!"

"No, this is on me! I'll take him out of here, so you have to be the one to set it off!" She then paused. "You _do_ know how to, right?"

Linka set her weapon down an picked up the metallic cylinder. "Of course I do!" She studied the EMP, then gasped. "Lynn... We have a problem."

"What now?"

Linka pointed at two handles in the top center of the device. "This is a... Manual fucking fryer."

"M-manual? Are you kidding me?!" Lynn opened her hands, questioning why it was built the way it was, all while Linka placed it over her shoulder.

"You didn't think to check?" Linka was ashamed of Lynn's noggin. "You've been with the Agency, right? You should know these things."

"I keep telling everyone I don't have clearance for everything!"

"Wonder why," Linka said sarcastically. "It looks like you'll have to activate this yourself, and run away before getting turned into toast."

"They're harmless to people, aren't they?"

"Not up close, no. Instant barbecue right in front of it when activated. That's why..." Linka shoved a finger at Lynn's face. "It must be you!"

Lynn released her grip on Lucky, who was still acting drowsy and fumbling about. "Then I'll t-take it!"

"You'll activate it when after dropping off the kid! Don't call-" But then, Lana had unexpectedly showed up out of the blue.

"Hey, guys!"

 **Radio Station**

Lupa slipped off the headset, feeling proud of herself. "I hope we actually get back-up for this!"

"Is very good move, comrade! Now we go back to town!" Laika ran out the door, but a force had repelled her back inside, sending her hurdling right into the wall.

"Whoa-" Lupa moved to the foreign girl's aid, but Liberty came in speeding right at her, delivering a kick in her face. "Agh!"

"Surprise, surprise!" Liberty cheered. "I'm sorry to say that your time is up, Lupa! Hehe."

Blood poured away from Lupa's nose as she got back up. "I knew it, I fucking knew it! You were playing us!"

"That signifies you accepted that I was truly on your side, then! I gotcha good, Snowball!"

"Y-you're with Nnyl..." Lupa raised a hand, opening it at Liberty's direction. The speedster warped away, dodging Lupa's telekinesis. "You fucking-!"

"You'd have to do a lot better than that!" Liberty bragged. "I'm the best-"

Lupa rebounded by cracking the glass and sent the shards flying towards the speedster from behind. Liberty screeched painfully as she took multiple fragments onto her back, legs, and two that dug their way into the back of her head. "Owie! How dare you! Now I'll-!"

Laika turned over in a surprise move and let her rounds fly to hit Liberty's legs. "Speed-o-phile fall!"

"N-not again!" That made Liberty pull back, running away with her tail between her legs.

"Girl die!" Laika chased after Liberty, while Lupa just laid back, sighing angrily.

 **Royal Woods**

Lynn was guiding Lana, who carried Lucky around her, out of town, while now engaging several phenos along the way. The teenage boy was enjoying the rollercoaster ride as Lynn punched the living obstacles in their way, and Lana was ducking all attacks she was avoiding to receive.

"Keep them off me!" Lana screeched.

"Just keep running! I'll be right behind you!" Lynn held off a trio of phenos, pushing them away from Lana. "Go!"

Lana kept speeding away with the "stoned" nephew mounted on her. "I'm going!"

Lynn knocked the headbands from the three phenos and hurried after Lana, providing support until Lana was home free to escape the ensuing chaos. It didn't happen like the way she hoped, a hard lesson to learn in the center of war; anything can happen, so be prepared for the worst.

Liberty came in and pushed Lynn down while she was bleeding immensely, leaving a blood trail along with her orange afterlight. "Oh, this is a surprise!"

"L-Liberty, what happened to your back?!" Lana nearly cupped her mouth when seeing the nice genderbent twitching violently to the wounds. "And why'd you push Lynn down?"

"Lana, was it? Yeah, that's it, that's your name!" The stunned tomboy was taken for a short joyride after Liberty knocked Lucky out of her grasp. The two were gone before he hit the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Lana and Lynn had yet to realize Liberty's allegiance, but the tomboy thought she was being taken to safety. "Wait, I csn take care of myself! Go back for Lucky!"

Liberty stopped right at the library, dropping Lana off. "I hope you'll make due..."

"Make due? Make due for what?" Liberty wasn't making any sense. "What am I doing here?"

It was the final question Lana asked when Liberty vibrated her hand right through Lana's chest. Nnyl had come running down as the poor tomboy fell on the sidewalk. Another dying victim among the inferno that Nnyl had single-handedly caused. She twitched about, grabbing hold of her chest for air. An organ or lung had been fatally misplaced, but no risk high enough to fix that. Lana wouldn't dare... And for that, she'd die a slow and painful death.

It was on the last few seconds of her life that her eyes engaged with Liberty's, looking to her in a desperate attempt to know why she did what she did. The one she met back in her own world was nice, caring, and affectionate. Affectionate in the same way she could relate to Lola's own. That, and the equivalent powers the two had.

A surrogate sister, gone. And Liberty flinched with some implication of regret when she turned away from Lana. "Oh... Hmmmm..." Weird. The killer felt rather... Off right after Lana had drawn her last breath. And this was not long after dropping heartfelt words that convinced Lana to run again. All for nothing. "Ahhhh..."

"What, never seen death before?" Nnyl rhetorically asked her. "And I said Lupa, not Lana. How did she get here?"

"Lynn and Lucky are here," Liberty informed. "You'd best hurry-"

Lynn had followed Liberty's blood trail back to her, finding not only her and Lana, but also Nnyl with them. She elbowed Lana's killer hard in the face. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SISTER?!"

Liberty plummeted hard on the ground, falling face first.

Lynn turned her attention to her clone, ready for the rematch. "LYNNETTE!"

The first punch was thrown by her, but it was so easily countered by Nnyl, who performed an uppercut and struck a good blow onto Lynn. "AWESOME! LET'S FIGHT SO THAT YOU MAY LOSE A SECOND TIME!"

Lynn tried another punch, but pulled a fake when Nnyl ducked down this time, and knee'd her face. Lynn then quickly grabbed her and flipped her over, not wasting a nanosecond. She wrapped her hands around Nnyl's neck and firmly had her pinned down. "STOP THIS, STOP THIS NOW! CALL OFF YOUR SLAVES!"

"Not even in your dreams," Nnyl rebelled. "I'll make them stand down once you and the rest of your... Or, _our_ family are wiped out from the face of the earth. Maybe if I'm feeling generous..." She began laughing cruelly but joyously while downed. "I'll let the others live so that they can take the fall of this mess! Yes, that is my idea of mercy!"

Lynn growled with anger, gripping Nnyl tighter to the point she began to squirm out of Lynn's arms. "No, no- You do that right now! You stop this, Lynnette! You've gone too far!"

"I've yet to- Hcck... Accomplish-" Nnyl revealed her secondary ability, which was Luna's own. Her claws spawned, enabling her to escape from her "mother" by gnawing at her hands. "My ultimate mission!"

Lynn pushed herself back, scathing from her scratch wounds. "Mission? Mission?! This is murder, and you're responsible for this! For all of this... This death! Look around you!"

Sure enough, there had been bodies spread around them, the rising amount of black some that filled the air, and the emergency siren that had been activated too late. It wasn't going where Lynn had wanted, but she had to keep trying. She had to keep trying to win, with all her might.

"I know, right? Isn't it great?" Nnyl only took pride in the ongoing hell she had ignited upon their hometown. "What's more, new players will be coming in shortly! More people who will die! Canon fodder everywhere!"

"And then what? What happens after you win?!" Lynn steadied her position, keeping her distance from Nnyl who had gottsn back up, smiling fiendishly. "You're aging rapidly, but you're throwing away your life by going against us?! Us?! Me, who wanted to find a solution to decrease your aging?!" Lynn's breath shook with an unsteady rate, succumbing into a sap notion. "I wanted to save you... That's why- That's why I helped them put you away in the tank! It was slowing your age rare down until... They said they would find a solution..."

"Spare me, Lynn," Nnyl coughed, "I didn't need saving then, and I don't need saving now!"

Lynn took a deep inhale through her nose, reveling in the clone's words, and exhaled through her mouth. "Then what is it you need?! What was it that you desperately needed?! I have to know!"

Nnyl began doing some arm stretches on the spot with a downed face that replaced her joy. "If you really had to ask..." Then, she came at her predecessor full throttle. "YOU WILL NEVER KNOW!"

The clash had begun, kicking off with the running and punching. Nnyl swung, only for Lynn to dodge and strike from behind. Effective until Nnyl performed a leg sweep and dropped Lynn on the ground. Nnyl went dirty and kicked her repeatedly. The seventh kick was prevented when Lynn calculated it correctly, blocked and had Nnyl go off balance as well, and then bounced back up to strike her clone in the gut before falling. She tried again to pin Nnyl down, this time out of commission, but was met with a crippling kick to her lower jaw, which sent blood flying through the air and onto Nnyl's suit. Any harder and Lynn's neck would have snapped, making for an instant death. But Lynn was defeated again by the clone, and Nnyl hadn't even used the reptilian abilities, apart from the one time.

"Is that it? Thought you'd put up more of a fight!" Nnyl hoped.

Lynn spat out blood, stumbling about. The strike had made her lightheaded enough to lose balance. "I- I can keep going... I have to keep going..."

"You... Are willing to make this a death match?" Lynn raised her fists again to the puzzled Nnyl.

"Are you willing to kill me to guarantee win? Even when I'm-" She dripped blood again, coughing. "-B-barely able to-" Lynn tried to hand another hit at the clone, but was moving drastically slower now that Nnyl didn't even need to rapidly evade it. Lynn only stumbled forward, falling from putting all her strength into the extending punch. "Kuh!"

"I thought I broke your legs," Nnyl solely recalled. "The plan was to make you suffer by leaving you crippled, but it seems you still have your advanced healing properties."

"Is that a yes?" Lynn was at it again, trying to tackle the red-eyed blonde this time. Nnyl humored the eager brunette by allowing her this. They both fell, with Nnyl going down first. Lynn triumphed for a second only to get kicked again, this time in the vagina and in the stomach. "Uccck!" Lynn groaned, falling shamefully on her knees. "I'll-I'll keep fighting you for this."

"And you'll keep losing to me, Lynn. What kinda loser would you be with a bad luck streak?"

"There's no such luck... Go on, Lynnette. If you're really aiming to prove you're truly the best, then do it! Kill me! Kill me, or I won't stop coming after you! I could have missing legs and I'd still try to defeat you, I won't accept loss!"

"Your death will only guarantee a faster victory for me, Lynn. I'd like to toy with you as long as I can, but if you have a death wish, then who am I to say no to mother?" Nnyl raised a hand, readying the kill move. "The last good speedster alive!"

Lynn remained still, seemingly accepting her death. But really, the brunette had a final card to play against Nnyl. Lynn started it off with a laugh, just as Nnyl was one inch away from killing Lynn. "I- I just realized I can't die yet! I can't!"

"Oh, change of heart already?" Nnyl found pleasure with Lynn's indecisiveness. "Too easy. Tell me why?"

Lynn pulled her closer, and leaned her own head into the clone's ear, whispering something. And that made Nnyl's eyes flare up wide open. The words had actually touched her, a real blue to her own emotions. "N-no! Y-you're lying! You've had all the time to-"

"I've never went there, and you know I'm not lying about before your creation. What makes you think I could've at anytime after you were brought to life?" Lynn had succeeded, managing to break her temporarily. "He'd be so disappointed in what you've become, Lynnette!"

Nnyl was shifting her head all over the place, figuring out what to do from here. "N-no... I- He-"

"Do you want to take that away from me? From... Yourself?" Even so, Lynn was not fully sure thus could work, seeing as Nnyl was more of a monster up to this point. This opened the possibility that it wasn't too late for her, and that was the part of Lynn that would begin to overwhelm her. She was happy with the results. "There is still time to go! You can stop this, help us turn in the Agency goons, and then..."

Nnyl was tearing up as Lynn went on. "Only then can we both finally visit the grave of the man who raised me for the rest of my teenage years!" That would be a promise Lynn intended to keep, should Nnyl say-

"No..." It was her hard answer, and Lynn's rising hope dank back down to what it realistically was. "That's not me... I'm not you, Lynn, I'm someone else entirely. Th-these memories... They're not my own-" But she looked like she wanted to cry. That's where Lynn made the incorrect assumption.

"Then why are you...?"

"Because... I went to his grave already..."

 _The graveyard was desolate in the cold dawn of a brand new day. No wind made a noise, but the birds were chirping out their common natural songs as they flew around and above the trees in the cemetery. Nnyl felt the coldness of the most grass through her suit's soles, developing a quick case of the sniffles as she was looking around for the name._

 _Tyler Thompson. That was he who had died of an illness too early in young Lynn's life. One of only a hsndful of people who ever meant so much to Lynn. To Lynn, not her. Not Nnyl. But she came anyway, because, in spite of her not being the one true Lynn, she felt she had to. Only... She couldn't bring herself to properly pay her respects, as much as she actually wanted to. It was Lynn's place to do that, and so, Nnyl surrendered her share of words grant it for Lynn._

"I don't get to say I miss him, because it wasn't me he took in. It would've... Been wrong of me to share that."

Lynn grew to a calm, gently trying to reach out to the one inside Nnyl. "But you're a part of me, and it was okay for you to visit him. I'd allow it, Lynnette. Trust me, I really would have. I know that... It must hurt you... And since you came into my life, I hoped that we'd go together over there... I'm still afraid and sad to go by myself, but maybe it's the Luna traits you've got that made it easier for you. At least that's what I think... Luna... More confident, more stronger..."

Nnyl looked down to the ground. "Really? You would have?"

"Yes, I would have." Lynn slowly hugged her. "We can stop this, Lynnette. We can stop this, together. Right here, right now."

Nnyl broke herself free, stepping away from Lynn. "I can't... I have to do this. I have to win... I have to beat you..."

"What? N-no... You don't have to. You don't need to!" Lynn developed the same teary-eyed look as Nnyl had, but only more than the clone. "What is it that makes you want to kill all the phenos?! Us, the entire Loud family?! I don't understand it, so make me see it! Make me see what you see!"

She simply shook her head, unbelieving of Lynn being able to see what she saw. And what Nnyl saw was herself, a complete and total loser, primarily created to actually be superior over her two biological mothers, which she didn't know before. She had been raised and trained by Lynn and the Agency, and all was well until the day came when she found that she was going to be the tertiary weapon of choice. It made her angry, it made her berserk. It made her desperate for different results. She killed a pheno, but they put her away in a jar rather than commending her. And it looked like the game was rigged. If so, she knew she'd have to changed the game on her own terms. Change the game, be the winner. Change the game... By cheating and shifting the rules so that no one could be able to win. And all because she had never been awarded, praised, victorious among them in her life. All these memories of Lynn having won many trophies in her life, many fights against a lot of individuals, and more- How could the clone compete with that?

The matter of the truth was that Nnyl was still insecure, and the disappointment in failing again has led her up to this moment. She'd win. She'd win by killing those in the lead of the race, and prove that she was the one and only ultimate soldier the Agency had to offer. Even if they were actually targeting her as well. Her mission would end when she saw it through, and that also accounted for her to kill Lynn. Kill... Lynn... The only way to win.

Being told that Lynn had yet to visit Thompson's grave had made her stop to consider it. She had to win, just once. At least once.

"What is it all for?! What will you get out of winning?!"

And that was when Nnyl really broke into tears. "Just one big victory..."

"This isn't the only way to win... We can both win by stopping this to spare the innocent lives... P-please... We can reroute all phenos to attack the Agency and we'll come up with something. We will get out of this, I promise!" Lynn extended a hand out for Nnyl to reach. "Please, Lynnette!"

"I... Can't!" Nnyl had already made up her mind. She revealed her sharp teeth and bit hard into Lynn's neck. She closed her eyes, unsuited to see the person who had truly ever care for her begin to pass right before her. Nnyl made it painless and ripped out a chunk of Lynn's throat. She ran, fleeing away from the dying brunette, taking Liberty with her.

Lynn lay dying, gagging and trying to stop the bleeding. Her rapid healing had already slowed down enough from over the years that there was no walking away from this one alive. It seemed death was finally here. Death, delivered by the one person she wanted to call a true daughter. The scenery was blurring out, switching over into a ray of dazzling white light.

The white light kept going brighter and brighter. Lynn wasn't ready to go just yet. She'd miss out on her new nephew growing up, all the birthdays they'd throw. All the festives and holidays to celebrate, without her.

Who would she meet again? Who would she-

 _"It's time to come home, Lynn..." The silhouette, just one, appeared to welcome her into the gateway of heaven._

She blinked, she hesitated.

 _The recognizable person with the firm voice of the dead brother reached out a hand. "We've been waiting..."_

Lynn's mouth dropped in awe, hesitating to accept the calling. "L-Linc... Lincoln!"

And right before she made her choice, one literal second before she could take the grasp of his hand, the white light shifted back into focus, with the silhouette vanishing right as quickly as it showed up. "Lincoln? Lincoln!"

She came back to, still twitching from her wounds. "L-Lincoln..."

"It's not your time yet, Lynn," came the voice of a stranger who held a syringe in her hands. Lynn got a good look at her savior, a girl in an orange tank top and blue jeans shorts, sporting the Linka Loud custom look, and even had the white hair to go along with that. White hair, and a green beanie that covered it up. "Not yet."

The serum that entered through Lynn's body did it's primary job of closing in the large, bloody wound on her throat. She had lost enough blood by then, but the serum was also recuperating on the missing blood cells that exited her body. "Who-?" She gagged out blood before finishing

"Save the talking there, speedy," Lina suggested, helping Lynn back up. "Follow them!"

"Wait, why- Why do you look like-?" They were rudely interrupted by a young pheno with ugly vomit-green wings, completely barefoot, revealing talons rather than regular feet.

"I got this! Go, Lynn!" The Linka fangirl made a jump. Right before landing, her white shoes did a weird thing. It was like they activated a hologram, maybe a shield or something. Lynn blinked, squinting, believing her mind was playing tricks on her.

The new white-haired girl had activated a silver hoverboard through her shoes. An advanced piece of technology, no doubt. Just who was this short girl? And where did she come from?

The girl engaged the pheno with a bonus submachine gun feature that was installed on her hoverboard, leaving Lynn more confused. "GET GOING, I KNOW WHAT NOT TO DO!"

"Uh, right!" Lynn turned to her current obligation once more, racing away to follow Liberty's blood trail. Whatever was gonna happen, it had to come out their way. Her way, Linka's way, and Lupa's way. None for Nnyl, not even this. The next time she'd see Nnyl, she'd have to best her. Try to. No, not try to. Lynn had been holding back. Now that she knew Nnyl wouldn't stop...

...No need to hold back.

* * *

 **AN: Part two of... I don't know how many chapters this will be. Not like I plan it all and divide it into parts. Oh, no, it's circling in my brain, just like the new fic; the third entry of the 2026 series. Welp, I can't help myself from keeping it up, but I'm totally clearing the board this time for the third one. None of the main characters will be present for that one, so you could guess without end on who's in it and what I'll bring to the table. Of course, I aim it to be about twenty chapters or so. Just a short fic, the first one to start off the next year. Hue, just when it looks like the end... I find a way.**


	36. War Zone, Part Three

**July 21st, 2039**

Linka had to drive the "borrowed" pick-up truck through the rampaging phenos, the dying civilians, and the tiny shootouts through town, while heading to the precinct. Pretty sure the cops would have sealed themselves in, fending off the freaks that had overrun the peaceful town of Royal Woods. She had to drive carefully, even with the secret weapon taking space of the passenger seat, rattling away. The shotgun wasn't anymore comfortably placed, standing butt-side up, leaning from the edge of the passenger seat and against the EMP.

People got in the way. Bloody, screaming townsfolk were hitting against the truck, trying to hail Linka down. A few of them attempted to jump and climb on the back, and some had succeeded to do so. Linka pulled down the window, deciding to help those she was able to. "Get in, get in if you can!"

As she let some many of the scared lives onboard, she figured she would have to face to the edge of town so that they could escape. A risky drive from here to there, barely a miracle that she hadn't encountered any hostile as of yet. She drove off again when the back was crowded with too many people already, and left behind those unfortunate souls who wandered about fearfully and hopelessly. She only prayed no one would die, even though it was just an impossibility to avoid. Still... Someone had to. Someone had to keep it alive. Someone.

Linka took her head out of the window. "Do any of you have guns?! Weapons or something?!"

Three men had indeed showed off some Glocks at Linka's indirect request, taking position of overwatch. "We're covered! Drive us to the gun store! We need to fight back!"

Linka thought about that idea. The gun shop could have been raided already, but there was no way of knowing. Maybe Samaritans were already holding it down, guarding it as she thought. She planned to avoid it, as it was the center of town where the phenos were striking. All the public places, with a few of them just scattered around the homes. Guessed why she hadn't seen of here yet. "Hold on tight, then!"

She went off course and decided to bet all her cards into it. Linka would supply them with the ride to the armory and instruct them to head out of town. Then, she'd quickly return, and with more and better weapons, as well.

 **Radio Station**

Liberty had gotten away clean, and Lupa had to warn Linka and company about the traitorous albino. She quickly got back into the car, and Laika took position in the trunk again, reloading her weapon when her magazine was empty. "We're going to the armory, girl. I think you need more than a pistol at this point."

"I good with AK! You Americans sell AK?" Laika wondered.

"Get good with military grade, not a peasant's weapon," Lupa insulted.

"AK is Motherland weapon!" Laika protested.

"We're not in Motherland, girl! Now buckle up and make your shots count!" Lupa stepped on the gas pedal, rushing down the steep hills. Laika felt odd when she was forced backwards, having to stretch her body straight to stop her from folding into the trunk. The con of being back cover. Never again.

"Careful, you not be!" Laika angrily retorted.

"I SAID BUCKLE UP FOR A REASON!"

"NO SEATBELT, STUPID GIRL!"

"TAKE ENGLISH CLASSES TO LEARN EXPRESSIONS!"

"I LEARN EXECUTIONS!"

Lupa didn't slow down at all. "OKAY!"

Their only speedster had switched to the other side, had been all along. Then, was there no hope in winning without the proper skill and abilities to match not one, but now two of them? Lupa seethed her teeth with anger, stressing over the odds that were against them. Hopefully, just hopefully, they would get additional support from any and all fighters in the area. Lucky for her she had Laika, but there needed to be more of them.

Coming into town, she witnessed countless people already evacuating, and groups of armed civilians were running back and forth through the streets, watching out for the super-powered hostiles still in control. Lupa had pushed on the brakes aggressively, forcing Laika right inside the trunk, making her curse in her language.

"Hey, you! You with the weapons, what are you planning to do with those?!" Lupa thought they had gotten the memo when she sent out her message through the airwaves, but it didn't seem like everyone received it.

"We're gonna kill all the freaks in town!" One said.

"They declared war on our very way of life!" Another added with rage. "It's just like the news says about them!"

"Get out of here, girl! This is a war zone!"

Lupa yanked out their guns and rifles, dumping them right over Laika. "You're right, now get out of here before the real soldiers turn this place into a blast zone!" She went further into town, hoping that she solved that little issue. They'd have gone off and killed as many phenos as they could, with no concern or worry about targeting the kids among them. Lemy was still around, and the twin pals of his were part of this as well. They didn't need to be killed like this. They were just young innocent buckaroos.

As she drove, she remembered that Lemy could go invisible, which meant that he would be unseen. But he could not make himself completely invisible without removing his clothes. Nor the headband he had. Wait... Was there a chance he escaped? He could have gone invisible when Nnyl had gotten to the training grounds and broke them all out. Maybe she had freed him, only for him to successfully elude her grasp. Maybe, but what did Lupa know in the now?

Laika flashed a thumbs up from behind. "We no need go to armory! Go where?"

Lupa had an idea and stopped when they found themselves along in the streets. She set the car to park and ordered Laika to get out. "Shoot off some guns!"

"Why, what we doing?" Laika dug herself out from the stash of guns and got out of the trunk. "No AK here."

Lupa snatched a pistol and aimed at the air, firing away at the sky. "Let's get most of their attention! I can take them down easily, so we don't have to kill them! I hope the ones we've subdued will wake to be our allies soon enough!"

They attracted five phenos, and Laika had fired away at their legs, while Lupa flicked off the devices on their heads. "You say no kill, so I hurt!"

"Yeah, but...-" Lupa inhaled deeply, groaning. "We need allies who can walk!"

Hoverboard girl had followed the gunshots, riding right over a building and regrouping with Laika. "Oh, hey! So this is where the distortions brought you!"

"Girl clone of the Lincoln Loud!" Laika greeted with a smirk. "Is good to see you again, comrade Lina!"

Lina hugged Laika emotionally, but the redhead pushed the albino off of her, denying the mush. "As, you went missing for awhile! We thought we'd never see you again!"

"Was here for weeks, following Linka and Lupa from distance."

"H-hold on, what was that?" Lupa was trying to add two plus two together, but this was one math equation that she couldn't solve by her own. "What do you mean you've been following me? And who the hell is this girl?"

"Easy there, Lupa! We've come to do something here, but we'll lend you our help while we do our thing."

"Uh..." Lupa drooled.

"Did comrade Lynn Three solve problems?" Laika wondered.

"Uhh..." She drooled again.

"It's being reversed! The distortions sent me here a few hours ago..."

"Uhhh..." Lupa wasn't going to get anywhere with the two weirdos, so she abandoned the Russian girl and entered the car again, and left them to fend for themselves. "I don't get paid enough for this."

 **South End of Royal Woods**

Linka stopped just before the way out of Royal Woods, having outrun a pheno who only damaged the passenger's side mirror on the way. "This is your stop! Get off and get the fuck out!"

They followed her orders, only because there was really no other thing to do, but to run away or get killed if they decided to fight back. Two guesses what they'd choose. Even less people were alive by then, and Linka was already returning, running over the many bodies of dead people that she hadn't time to move. Gunfire still filled the air, but less screams made it a dark sound of silence. Not too many people to rescue now, meaning the inevitable fight with no limits was soon coming.

No time to take people out of the equation now. The EMP set-up mattered, and Linka was rushing speeding away now.

She and Lupa crashed into each other at an intersection, and Lupa took more of the damage, face planting right into the steering wheel, causing the airbag to go off. "Hey, you stupid! Watch where you're-" Linka then recognized the "stupid" when Lupa tore the airbag out, revealing her bloody face.

"You're supposed to stop at red!"

"In case you haven't noticed, it's all turned to shit!" Linka looked back at their secret weapon. Still fine, undamaged. "Get out of that crappy car! And why is the trunk even open?"

"Long story! What's with the pick-up?"

"Long story! Get in the back, not in the front!"

"What? I'm calling shotgun!" Lupa exclaimed.

"I've got a shotgun calling shotgun! Mord importantly, the EMP is here with me, as well. Come on, uo you go!"

Lupa jumped and flew down onto the back like a feather floating down. "Where are we going?"

"Gun shop, I might need more for later!"

Lupa leaned her head back and sighed miserably. "You fucking nut..." Lupa swerved the car around snd loaded the guns from the trunk into the back. "We've got what you need, now keep driving around! We can lure the phenos to us by revealing our own position!"

"Oh, and how can we call-" Linka was interrupted by the gunfire Lupa started again. "You're using us as bait?"

"Remember the Black Ops games Lincoln, Clyde and Ronnie Anne would often play? The zombies mode? Well, floor it so we can make the zombie train! Only, you know, with the phenos!"

"Ugh... I have to play those again one day..." Linka began speeding away again, with Lupa double tapping on the handguns.

"If we live, I'll fucking buy them for you!" Lupa promised impulsively.

"And shoot off slowly! Those aren't enough for the Agency!"

"Nonsense, we'll come up with something!" Lupa continued to shoot, and was happy to see the results. Three adult phenos and a young pheno appeared in unique ways, starting their chase after the two. Lupa formed a gun with her fingers and aimed it at them. "Bang, bang, bang!" Those three had fallen right away, thanks to her. No Lemy yet, but she had her eyes in close watch. No way he could've been killed yet... Right? But inside, she had some concern towards his safety. "Linka...?"

But Linka had an idea of what Lupa was thinking about. The Lucy clone didn't think about Nnyl, nor the many poeple dying around them. Her mind had to belong to that kid she talked about, mentioned. Linka didn't blame her for wondering that far ahead. "We don't know if he's dead, Lupa. We really don't. Have some hope or faith or something."

"Yeah..." Lupa just let her head fall with saddening brood at the thought of it. Even then, even when, if, he was still alive, she failed him already. Once, which would be either fatal or not at all. And by the way things looked right now, the path had set Lemy to a dangerous, deathly destiny. All Lupa's fault in her own eyes.

Linka braked hard, making Lupa's head strike against the back window. "HEY!"

"Lupa, keep your head in it or not at all!"

"I won't have a head if you keep this up!" Just like that, Lupa was out of her head, fuming at Linka's recklessness. "I'm gonna- Hey, look out!"

"What?" Linka swerved the truck to the right when the road up ahead crumbled about. "What powers _don't_ they have?!"

"Got a bead on them?" Lupa stepped onto the roof, looking in the wrong place. "I got-"

The attack came from right beneath them, strong enough to flip the truck over on its back. Lupa went flying forward, screaming with a rare high-pitched tone. The guns struck her after she had hit the ground, slowing her down from rolling away from the falling truck. Her left hand was caught, painfully pinned down by the weight of the vehicle. "G-God-! Linka!"

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Linka punched her way out through the windshield, crawling out to Lupa. "Hey- Oh, my God!"

"Yeah! I'm stuck!"

"No! These guns went all over the place!" Linka lifted the truck high enough to free her sister.

Lupa dragged her hand out, and rolled to the side. "My arm! I can't feel my arm!" She wailed, flopping the hand around.

"Well, at least you have one good hand left," Linka coldly stated.

"A-are you kidding me?! This hurts-" Lupa received a slap before being picked up by the first clone.

"Then you've never gotten used to having your hands go through endless pain, right? You'll heal, but don't be a wimp!" Linka looked back inside the truck. "Fucking great, the EMP will be damaged at this rate!"

Linka was in the midst of pulling the cylinder out carefully, hoping it wasn't damaged at all. "Ah, keep an eye out on that-"

The underground pheno had come up again, right behind Lupa. "Linka! Prioritize me, you asshole!" Lupa spun around to push the foe off of her, but she was too close to gain the advantage, being only pushed back down on her back. "Why, you-!" Lupa threw an air punch, striking the dirt-covered opponent back.

Linka turned to the guns, aiming to make short work of this one. "How old is what's-his-name?"

"Lemy is like twelve! Why are you asking now?!" Lupa then knew after asking, turning to Linka seconds too late. She ultimately fired, but Lupa yelled afterwards. "LINKA!"

Three shots dropped the poor, dirty fellow, but Linka was not about to mourn or give a moment of silence. If she didn't know them, she didn't care. Lupa, on the other hand... "What, this isn't your brat, is it?"

"Stop the pissing contest and do what it takes, sister."

"I have, and we don't need to kill them! I was just going to remove their silly devices to break the control! Don't you think we could earn potential allies?!"

"If they could so easily be beaten by us, then they're not worth having to have them back us," Linka thought. "We don't need them."

"Linka, please! I'm not fucking joking!" Lupa rubbed on her broken arm, hissing lightly.

"Neither am I," Linka finalized, taking off with the EMP, leaving Lupa by herself.

"Hey, hey, where are you going? Linka!" Lupa followed pursuit, having no choice. "You need me!"

"Exactly, now cover me with your one good arm!"

"Wait, where are we going?!"

 **Elsewhere**

Lucky was mindlessly walking about, already returning back to his original state. The whole trippy sensation was just like the dang weed that would get him high, but he hadn't smoked any of that for weeks. And not at all recently.

He came across bodies and wreckage wherever he went. Houses were destroyed, buildings unevenly broke away, and more destruction was still going on while faint gunshots rang out in the distance. Frankly, the boy was scared of being in the area, alone and lost as no one was with him when he had woken up.

Were the others dead? Did they die... Around Royal Woods? Couldn't have... Lupa was a tough cookie to crack. Linka was fairly the same as well. But... She died once at the hands of Nnyl, so maybe it was possible-

No, they couldn't have died. Not them, and not Lynn, not Lana, not even the new girl.

Where was it he needed to to? Could he do something? _Was_ he to do something?

The lost redhead avoided clearings, sticking to the sides, and constantly taking cover behind what he could. He hadn't seen people yet, but when that happened, he only wished it was the right people.

The second he did hear a cluster of folk shouting away in strict but panic tones, he redirected into the backyard of the house he was just passing by, jumping right over the wooden gate, drastically trying to force himself to reach the other side. The gate was taller than him, so all it did was get him stuck, folding him over by his stomach. "Ow!"

He heard a multiple pairs of footsteps dramatically running closer to him. He wiggled his feet, trying desperately to climb his feet against the gate. No use in trying to escape now. He whimpered like a pansy, hoping that these passing individuals were not hostiles. He remained still, despite the position he was in having hurt his frontal waistline. What a bad situation this was.

He covered his mouth as it sounded he's been seen. "Hey, look over there! Someone tried to run for it! Poor soul died embarrassingly."

 _You try having to run for your life!_ Lucky exhaled with grief.

"Come on, we've got some freaks to kill!"

Lucky let moments pass before he flipped himself backwards, finally freeing himself. "Dang it- Ugh!"

As soon as he moved back into the street, a quick firefight had started just down the block. The boy took cover behind a hedge. "Please, please-"

A head went flying through the street, making him shiver with fright. He turned away from the sight of the graphic scenery, hiding his face down on his knees. "Oh, my G-God..."

Screaming replaced the loud gunshots, up until nothing could be heard. Just like that, he believed the persons he heard have died just like that. And soon, it would be him next. No one would save him. Hyperventilating, he squealed out and manned up, coming out from the hiding spot to get it over with. This was all he could do at the very moment, rather than a simple nothing. "I'm over here-"

What he saw that had slaughtered the group of men was not at all human, but its own physique was humanoid in nature. What was more, it seemed to be vividly devouring the fleshy limbs of its own victims. The horrid teeth were revealed when the thing, that hideous monster, opened its jaws eidely. He recognized this creature as the same one he had briefly seen before, from their destroyed house. "Y-you!"

The thing sank into the ground, as if it were made of shadow. It terrified the redhead further, getting the feeling that he was about to be the main course. Body too tensed up to even shake. Hands had overcome the irregular shaking. "Hi..." The thing rasped from behind.

He peed his gray sweatpants, stuttering away uncontrollably. "P-please don't eat me!"

Rather than being a snack, Lucky received a better role for the big battle when the ravenous demon took a new form, modifying and applying himself to act as a suit for Lucky. "On behalf of our mutual acquaintance Lupa Loud, I hereby surrender my physical body and the supernatural powers that come with it."

"S-supernatural-" Lucky for him, he wasn't claustrophobic, but this was still bone-chilling already. The thing was freezing, even through the baggy sweater and sweatpants. He shivered away, not knowing what to make of this. "What are-? A-are you going to eat me?"

"I've already had my meal," the demon-suit said. "I will be your fighting armor for the entirety of the battlefront!"

"A-armor? I- You- Lupa-" Lucky pointed around, trying to make sense of whatever the fuck was going on. "What?"

"And don't worry, Lupa is still alive! Although..."

 **South End of Royal Woods**

The units had begun to pour into town. It started with a convoy of five M1 Abrams tanks, and in between them, six foot-mobiles with anti-pheno machine guns, magazines all laced with dampening properties to nullify the odd quirks of the many targets they've been sent to neutralize. In total, that made thirty of them entering hell.

More of them had been quickly setting up a temporary base a mile from town, right on a clearing in the nice grassy plateau. The Agency's director, with the rest of his own soldiers, had teamed up with the general who had made all this possible. Tents were up, tables and communications systems went here and there, and humvees with machine gun turrets were lined up, waiting to be used. So far, none of the heavier ordinance was due on the frontlines. Not yet at least.

"You spooks and your plans to weaponize these so-called freaks! Quite a shitfest my men have to clean up, wouldn't you say?" The blame had panned at them, but the Agency, notably the elderly director, would get away with what he truly sought out to realize. As far as it went, the Louds and Nnyl were the conspirators of this massacre. He send in his men just to ensure Nnyl died, or she'd ve the loose end of this scheme. Lynn was a potential issue, however, as she had somehow and unexpectedly knew of what was going on. Not only that, but she had taken and EMP, and then the rest of the Louds vanished from the Agency. That's what he got for not installing cameras in their living quarters. They countered it perfectly just the one time, when Lily freaked out about her being watched by him. The pervert card could even bring down a higher-up like the director, and it was left at that ever since.

By it all, the Louds hsd known, and went into hiding. This was both good and bad, considering he could make them look guilty this way. Bad because if they really did know, then they'd have something on him. But, what could they gain that would be evident against him? First in the elder man's agenda was to exterminate the phenos, Nnyl, and anyone who got in their way. Surely Lynn was somewhere among the many phenos here, trying to play heroine. Linka and Lupa were a possibility, but he didn't know for sure until he would get the reports.

"Quite, indeed," he casually replied. "I apologize for the inconvenience this should bring about for you and your brave men, but I am very grateful for the assistance."

"Oh, you don't need to thank me," the chubby general replied. "My country is always in need of saving. That and, I'm going to show how all the other forces how it's done."

"Ah, I see. Well, the best of luck to your men. Debrief me when we receive good reports."

"Roger that, spook."

 **Center of Royal Woods**

Linka's arms were starting to give out by the time she and Lupa reached downtown. "Where should we set up shop?" Linka gazed at each structure, deciding which one best suited the device.

"What, didn't have a plan for that?" Lupa growled.

"More or less..."

"Why not set it off at the school? You know, the one where-"

"I know which one you're talking about..." Linka didn't have valid options at this point. Not with the time window vastly closing on them. And the school was not far from where they were, now that they remembered. "I miss the pizza they served," Linka reminisced.

"Lucy loved the burgers with extra ketchup. Said she'd make it look bloody."

"...Yeah, that sounds right," Linka shrugged.

"I'm... Hungry," Lupa admitted, biting her lip.

"Save it! We'll eat later!" Linka reminded her. "Keep covering me to the school!"

 **Blocks Away**

Lynn had left Lucky, but didn't mean to. She had to go back to him, already running back to where he had been left. But he wasn't there to be found. "Oh, no..."

Bad enough she had lost both Nnyl and Liberty, but now Lucky? She felt like an utter failure, incompetent to even watch a sleeping relative. She hated herself so much, for everything and for nothing. The everything belonged to her adding mistakes that came from her only few flaws, really many of them. The ones she thought she had overcome, plowed through. She wasn't the same brat as before, not the same one who had a fixation on winning. Winning so that she would never be the loser. Loss was just as acceptable as victory... And yet... And yet...

She didn't want to lose, for what was at stake. And then, there was more than those two things now. Always has been.

She ran faster, with only the defeat of the fallen "daughter" taking up most of the space within her mind. She went around, taking down phenos, and breaking the mind-control out of them. She searched from block to block. Street against street. House after house. Building through building. Nothing so far, but all she really did was gradually wear herself down faster.

She had now reached the area where it was familiar to her. The streets around were the ones she used to get herself to and from middle school. That also meant the house they demolished was close by. No, she couldn't go there again. Lynn broke into a faster run, speeding right past the school. If she hadn't noticed Linka and Lupa breaking into their old middle school, she would have kept going, far from this hurtful place.

"Oh, no..." Linka whispered when a gust of air blew at them.

"Lynn! You're alive!" Lupa said in a cheerful tone, before switching to her moody one. "That's cute."

"What are you two even-" Lynn then noticed the cylinder object Linka carried around, eyes narrowing at them. "Have you not even-?!"

"You use this when the Agency is deployed in! We can take them all in one fell swoop this way! Render all their special weapons useless!"

"I'm with Linka on that," Lupa sided. "It'll definitely spare a whole lotta phenos from dying, but we've still gotta-"

"This fries the mind-control devices, you goddamn idiots!" Lynn reminded them. "And you want to save this while you two are aware that it's all going downhill?! Are you two kidding me?!"

She didn't like this plan now that she was seeing it put into action. She should have set it off the moment she arrived into town with Lucky. Her fault for thinking Linka had the same idea. And Lupa... Lupa was actually agreeing with her, despite her truly aiming to save everyone they were able to. This plan meant that the killing went on while Linka waited for the third party to arrive.

"I know that! I know that people are dying..." Lupa swallowed the pill for it. "But people have already died, Lynn. Casualties from both sides, I'm sure... But I've tried to rescue some of these people and phenos alike-"

"And so have I," Linka crammed in.

"-But we know we can deny them the complete extinction of the race when they're in range to set it off!"

"N-no... That's not how you do this! It can't be that way!"

"It can, and it will!" Linka decided.

"We've broken many of them free already, Lynn! Less victims now, even though I wish we've stopped most of them faster!" Lupa clenched her hands into fists and brought her hands upward. "But we can't win every single battle the way we want to! I didn't come in expecting that it would all go our way!"

Linka and Lynn became the audience for the emotional talking albino. She spoke some vivid truth to them, preaching away what was bound to be more realistic- No, it was at that, and Lynn couldn't kid herself for much longer. It hadn't gotten their way. Not the way they, or she, wanted it to be.

"We're not strong enough to save everyone," Lupa continued, "Just like you're not fast enough to save everyone!"

Lynn looked down in shame, and Linka relieved Lupa of her harsh wake-up call by planting a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough, I think she understands it now."

"I can't..." Why did these words feel familiar to Lynn? She grasped them unevenly, stirred up mentally enough to be disoriented with the knife of reality. She tried to save those she cared about, but she failed to. She simply failed to save Lacy. She failed to prevent Lincoln from killing Liby, and that was based on her own decision in which she chose to find another way. Another way... There had to be contingencies, right? Better ones at that. She hoped, but did so at the cost of her only brother's life.

But if all, it never had begun before this. Before Twenty-Six. And not even before the death of her caretaker, the one she so desperately wished to have saved. This was always the curse of the fire. The fire that ignited Lynn's insecurity, making her the scared wimp who could not even try to run back to save her parents. It all hurt too much after Lupa circled that shit back at her.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't save everyone, for the life of her. She tried so hard, so much to. Not Lacy, not Liby, not Lincoln, not Lana, and not at all her own caretaker. She'd offered to do whatever it took to save him, only he wished to not be. He wished it to be, and Lynn broke again after years of being reconstructed from the trauma of the fire, and losing all her beloved family members.

But the matter of the truth, the true turning point of where Lynn had homegrown this manipulative insecurity started out as the tiny seeds where she ran from the house. Ran, afraid to face that death and tragedy would lay claim to someone, or several of them. What could she have done, albeit being a simple thirteen year old girl with many trophies, sports memorabilia, and her love of all things competitive?

What was Lynn missing as of yet? "I don't... Get it..."

"You do, Lynn," Lupa corrected, turning back to the school entrance. "We need you to set it off here, while Linka and I continue to stop the bloodbath. We'll hold off the Agency, too."

"Wait, where the hell is Liberty at this moment?" Linka had forgotten about her. "And... You did take Lucky back, right?"

Lupa gasped at the genderbent's name, having lost that update to tell along the way. "Linka-"

"Liberty switched over..." Lynn dropped. "After you left, Lana- Lana came by to pick him up-"

"What?! She's gonna get herself killed-" It was Lynn's dark facial expression that gave Linka the jeebies, which in turn only made her blue eyes widen with disbelief. "N-no... Not her."

Lynn was able to afford only one single tear for the fallen tomboy. "Liberty took Lana, led me into an ambush. L-Lynnette, sh-she-!"

"Lynnette? Who is Lynnette? Another clone?"

"That's what Nnyl used to be called before she renamed herself," Lupa answered.

"Oh... You see, that's better than Nnyl."

"Lana..." Lupa crossed her arms and tapped her feet on the concrete ground. "Damn you, Nnyl..."

"What happened to you arm?" Lynn pointed to Lupa's flopping arm.

"What do you think? Come on, get a move on."

Linka carried the metal cylinder after opening the doors. "Rooftop will do. Know that we won't be able to contact anyone once this thing goes off, but those others will also be blind, so that's good for us. They'll all be spread apart with no eyes or ears, and the phenos will be freed as well. This means-"

"Nnyl won't rely on escaping through time either!" Lynn pieced together.

"No, she can escape easily. But that's unless we render her speed useless..." She was devising another objective.

"Linka, what are you thinking?"

"Eagle eyes, you're up!" Linka pointed to the sky, which confused Lupa for a good four seconds.

"Oh! Scout run, of course!" She took to the sky, flying away like a free bird.

"Talk me through this?"

"We've gotta steal some of the Agency's own pheno-only guns specifically to use on Nnyl. It won't be hard to-"

"LINKA!" Lupa came freefalling down from above, diving like an eagle ready to swoop on its prey. "WE'VE GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS!"

"What? What kind of-"

More explosions rumbled the earth heavily. Lupa came to a slow halt and landed on the roof over the school. "We've got the military coming in! I'm seeing tanks closing in from the south, and many ground soldiers coming in units!"

"What? What about the damn Agency? Are they not going to show up?!" Linka handed the device to Lynn. "Damn it! They're good, but we can do better!"

"Linka, this is unexpected! If we don't activate this now, it might just be too late!"

"Damn it! It'll be a walk in the park for them the more closer they get!" Lupa added. "I know what I said, but... Now we have to! Listen, they're already firing away their cannons! As in, engaging the phenos! Linka!"

Options were even fewer now. Linka had it wrapped up around her pinkie, but it loosened. This was true war. "Do it, then! Take away their toys! But... At the cost of a way to defeat Nnyl! Just remember that when we-"

"We'll find a way! We will find another way to win, Linka! We will!" Lynn went off speeding away to pull out the trump card.

"What now?" Lupa wondered.

"Lucky is still out there, by the sound of it. We gotta go find him through this mess. Him, and your brat, too."

"We've got two speedsters to take care of now... Goddamn this shit."

"Liberty... Who even brought her here?"

"Nnyl, I'm sure. It makes sense, yet it doesn't. When I get my hands on her-"

"You'll do what?" Liberty had come running from Lynn's direction, at the other end of the empty hallway. She flipped Lupa on her back and punched Linka quite hard, helplessly giggling away with great joy. "Oh, wait! You tried to kill me! I remember now!"

"I should have yanked your head off!" Linka fired back.

"You should have! But, where would be the fun in that?" Liberty proceeded to break Lupa's other good arm, finally rendering her powerless for the most part.

"AGH, GOD FUCKING- GRRRRR!" Lupa remained downed, crying out as she proved to be finally useless and helpless to her sister. "KILL THAT BITCH, LINKA!"

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen!" Liberty proudly announced. "I got you! I finally got you, Linka! But this time..." She commenced a slapping session exclusively on Linka's face, delivering multiple ones with each second, not stopping until she reached past ten whole seconds. This didn't hurt Linka as much as she hoped, but it did leave her cheeks tomato red, as well as give her slight disorientation. "I've decided to kill you instead!"

"What, you've-" Linka coughed blood while trying to stand still. Her brain had rattled enough to also make her want to vomit. "Urk-! You've decided that I'm too old to kidnap and raise as your own?"

"Oh, yes! I mean, no. That's not primarily why, you see." The albino speedster pushed Linka lightly, making her fall off-balance easily. "It's because you replaced me! I was the perfect pre-Linka, or... Proto-Linka, as some from the beloved T-L-H fandom call me. Then, you came along!"

Linka just raised both her eyebrows in utmost confusion, then eyed Lupa for some answer, but the latter lifted her shoulders, being just as clueless as she was. "The..."

"Long story short, I've been forgotten because of your existence! Only the author shows me love at this point, because he knows I'm great! Oh, and apparently because I have longer hair as well, which is just crazy as I don't really straighten it."

"I really hit you hard on the noggin, didn't I?" Linka spat blood again, this time she targeted Liberty's face. "What's it gonna take?"

"Oh, I'm so lucky Nickelodeon doesn't own me!" Liberty didn't plan to to easy on her official, canon replacement. "I would just soil the show's reputation, or something-something."

"Crazy rambling bitch-" Linka sputtered. "Best tell us where Nnyl is hiding, if you known what's good for you! She's gonna answer for Lana's death!"

"Oh, hehe, but Nnyl didn't get that kill, if that's what you're implying! No, that would be me, actually! I killed that half of the incomplete twin set."

Lupa let the revelation sink. "Y-you? B-but she vouched for you! And she was wearing your same clothes, too!"

Linka stood on a knee, the slaps having already swollen up her cheeks. "Burn in hell-"

Liberty drove a hand right through Linka in that instant, a notable kill move among the quicksters. And Linka blinked in the face of the devil.

* * *

 **AN: While the fight has reached a new point in, there is stlll much ground to cover on the dynamics between Lupa and Linka, along with the final development additions to their characters. My fault for not being able to do this with the rest of them, despite so weakly trying. I probably should have collabed... Nah, haha.**

 **Either two or three more chapters left of this arc. And the death toll will get higher. Oh, and ready the tissues for the final pair of em. That's all.**


	37. War Zone, Part Four

**July 21st, 2039**

Lynn was clearly defeated by Liberty, as the evil white-haired witch had come from that direction where Lynn sped off to. It meant that she had delayed them, probably destroyed the thing too. Bummer. Fucking bummer for them all.

It was over just like that. Linka blinked when it seemed her time was truly up, and she just gave in like that. Gave in so simply, with no fight this time. Liberty was already besting her, had already done so. Embarrassing to be beaten by a speedster. To think that she was superior to them, gathered from having fought the Luna-based Lyra Loud a few times before.

Liberty was definitely crazy, but she was no Lyra.

Linka moved her eyes around, wondering how and why she was able to physically function as of yet. No strange, deathly sensation stopped her heart, and soon, she found out why. Linka gasped as Lynn had blocked Liberty's shot from her side, and had dug her nails right into one of the genderbent's eyes. Lynn dug deeper still, feeling the eyeball about to pop out as Liberty was frantically screaming to the top of her lungs.

Linka crawled backwards, moving out of Liberty's range. Not that she could do anything now, as all her attention focused on Lynn. "Well done, girl!"

"I don't need you to patronize me! Go, take Lupa and run!"

"What about?-" Lupa carefully stood back up.

"No time for that! Speedster fight for the speedsters!" Linka carried Lupa right into her arms and began running off from the schoolyard.

"H-Hey... Why is everyone persistent on carrying me when I'm not too much injured?" Lupa blushed heavily in the arms of her valiant knight, having the same exact feelings as to when Lucky had carried her.

"Oh, pipe down! Be grateful you're short enough for me to pocket around!"

If Lupa could cross her arms, she totally would. It was true, she was shorter than Linka, an unfair disadvantage that was rarely a fair advantage elsewhere.

Linka looked down and noticed how red Lupa was. "How adorable, you actually blush! That's a blush, right?"

Lupa ventured into the time she and Linka, her Linka, had their first kiss. She shook her head uncontrollably and bit her lip, squealing with embarrassment. "I- No- I- Um, Linka and I shared a kiss at one point..."

Linka slowed down, redirecting to a house with the front door open. "Hold that thought," she raced into the house, getting Lupa to immediate cover on the side of the wrecked living room. "Down you go..."

"Why are we stopping? No, we have to-" Linka leaned down to Lupa's level and gave her a nice, deep kiss. Lupa let her eyes zigzag around in astonishment, then closed them to properly return this affection from the stone-cold girl. Linka went a little further and mounted over Lupa, leading her hands on the shorter girl's boobs. "Mmmmf!"

Linka had no problem with making out with a member of the original Project Link. This was incest ramped up to Mark II, as well as literal self-love, if that was a real thing. A real odd thing that could disgust the rest of the family. Well, maybe Luan and Lynn would be hypocritical if they said something.

Lupa pulled herself back after a few great kisses, not as distracted by the current events. "Can we stop now?"

Linka rode off of the girl roughly, yearning for a bit more. "Raincheck, fuck knows I need some girl action."

"Maybe... Fucking sigh, my arms-" Lupa whined sadly. "I can still help, I've been improving moving shit with my own mind!"

"You can do that?" Linka wondered.

"Well, I'm still trying to get myself at the expert level, but..." Lupa focused hard enough to blow Linka's hair around. To Linka, it felt like a weird presence phasing right through her. "I can still do it, I can still fight!"

Linka flipped Lupa on her stomach, having the fun idea to try and pop Lupa's joints back into place. She had an idea of how to do so, but her skills were rusty. "Hold still, okay? I need you to trust me."

"Trust you? Trust you with wh- AAAAAAAGH!" Lupa wasn't given any prep time to ready for her broken arm's restoration. "LINKA!"

"I know it hurts way worse than you'd imagine-"

"GOD, YES!"

"-But it'll be fine. Now try to move it."

Liberty could kiss it if she saw that she failed to rid of Lupa's magnificent power. Lupa moved up and stretched it out before swinging it around. "Ah, oh-" She had no problem with this arm, despite feeling a degree of aching in the arm. "Oh, by the way."

"Hmm?" Of all the things Linka could see coming, a punch from a team member was never one of those. It tickled her, if she was to be honest, simply letting out a giggle at Lupa's strike. "That's only gonna-"

Lupa yelped, immediately regretting pubching her sister. "Ah, I just made it worse!"

"You ready to move?" Linka asked as she peeked over the window, seeing the street still vacant, save for some burning cars and the corpses of dead townspeople in the pavement and around the yards. Men, women, and even some kids- Actual bodies of children- Marked the town an unholy place of tragedy and terror, fit to become a deathly monument among history.

Lupa flicked her arm cautiously. "Let's make this fast, I'm already-"

More cannon shots echoed closer now. The assembly of the tanks Lupa had spotted were coming nearer now.

"Lynn better hurry up with the goddamn job." Linka wrapped Lupa around her and began leading her out. "No time to slow me down! I might as well be carrying you, but the thing was hravy enough to sprain my muscles."

"What muscles?" Lupa chuckled.

Black smoke covered the sky almost like the screen, blocking much of the sun and its bright rays in the process. The day was truly dark indeed. Who would be left standing in the end?

"Haven't seen anyone in awhile. And neither have I seen this Russian girl or uhh, a Linka fangirl... I don't know, don't ask me."

"Uh?" Linka questionably yelped.

"We do have allies. Those two, wherever they are."

"You're not making any sense, sis."

Lupa inhaled before sighing. "Yeah, I know."

They turned the block, heading down south. There had already been a tank trundling its way toward the two. At first, they stood perfectly still, trying to move back slowly before being spotted. They couldn't have been blamed for lacking knowledge about manning such a thing of beauty, as they had been spotted before they could move out of the range. The firing of its long, powerful cannon rang out before they had a chance to duck for cover. Lucky for them that the shell didn't hit them directly, but it did send Linka flying backwards, and Lupa to the middle of the street.

The gravel erupted along with the blast, dirtying them up roughly. Linka was the first to get back up. "LUPA!"

The demon-suit that Lucky sported reacted to Linka's cry just a few streets away. "She's in trouble, she's in trouble."

Lucky let himself be controlled by the black knight suit, which was like something out of a movie set in the medieval era. "Can you make me look better? Who do you think I am, Al-" He was made to make a high jump in the air, and it was only halfway in the air that he received a helmet, which mainly blocked out the air from rushing his face. That, and it contained the girly screaming from his voice.

The tank, still rolling forward, rotated its main gun at Lupa. Linka hadn't the time to rush to move her out of the way. "L-Lupa, fly!"

Lupa was downed, knocked out from the blast. No way she'd wake up fast enough to evade the next calculated shot.

"LUPA!" Linka limped her way to Lupa, picking her up by the shoulders. "IF YOU DIE, I'M NOT LETTING YOU DIE BY YOURSELF!"

The right half of Lupa's ice-cold face was gone, replaced by a horrid flesh visible, courtesy of the blast. Her clothes been ripped nearly to shreds, only dangling about loosely. Linka walked away with nothing but a bleeding leg, all while Lupa got the bad end of the deal here. She leaned her head in, relieved to hear Lupa was still just faintly breathing.

"You idiot..." Linka shed a tear of happiness. "It's... It's been great to see the real you again."

There was so much she could say to her, and to the others. So much that she could never tell unless in such a situation. This, a perfect life-or-death scenario, played out perfectly to exploit the inner, locked-up Linka. Dragged her out of her dark abyss.

Here it came, the next shot. The final one that would wipe the pair from the face of the earth. **Boom!**

Linka embraced Lupa deeply in her arms, resting her own head over the dying girl, showing some sibling affection. "I'll see on on the other side..." These were the final words she believed to say before the explosive finish. She shut her eyes, gripping onto Lupa as tightly as she could.

And waited for the grand finale. And waited. And waited.

"Uh?"

"And to think you mortals can solve this of your own accord," the knight suit rasped, still controlling the redhead boy. They both arrived right on time to block the large shell, to which Lucky was amazed by.

"I love this thing!" He shared out loud as his body moved to carry both Linka and Lupa from the ground. "Oh, God! Lupa!"

"She is dying, not good," the demon examined.

"L-Lucky? Is that you under there?" Linka didn't bother fighting back whatever this was. "Wh-where did you get this... This armor?"

The four relocated to the nearby building, a laundromat with most of its front windows broken in, and not a soul stirring about. Lupa was set down, leaning against one of the washers. "Greetings, relative of Lupa!"

"It can talk? Is this an AI super suit?" Linka touched it lightly.

"I don't know what this is, but-" Lucky was left feeling naked after his sentient battle upgrade slipped off like an oozing liquid, transferring into Lupa's dying body. "Whoa!"

"Hey, what- What is-?" Linka believed the strange substance to be a threat to Lupa, and as such, she scooped her hands to remove the gunk away from Lupa. "Lupa!"

"Mortal, cease and desist! I am trying to help my Lupa!"

"Y-your Lupa?" Linka continued to defy the demon-goo's advance, but Lucky broke her apart from him. "Hey-"

"He's not lying, Linka. I'm sure he's friendly, considering he saved the three of us." His voice was calm, but still serious. Linka was able to tell he believed it, but maybe that was the childish part of him talking, so easily fooled by this sentient thing she didn't understand. Who was she to believe in? Him, or her own gutsy hunches?

"He? What- What the hell is-" Linka became further mesmerized by the black substance that entered through Lupa's shredded skin, being slowly absorbed inside. "Hey, what is this... Nasty stuff doing to her?!"

"I'm sorry, Linka," the teen picked a wrong time to be guilty of delaying them. "I screwed up for Lynn."

"Yeah, moron! You did just that-" Lupa's body twitched upwards, limbs twirling around nearly grotesquely, but also back into place. The fleshy half of her face disappeared after a coat of black replaced it. Then, it cleared back up to be smoothly repaired, as if nothing had happened. Lupa opened her eyes. They had become yellow now, rather than being the typical cold blue Linka knew of her. "Lupa!"

"Wait, what just happened?" Lucky asked, truly lost.

Lupa kicked herself up, stretching out her arms. "H-how? What-?"

"Thank God for... That thing inside you!" Linka hugged her before retracting. "Um, well the good news is you're not dead..." Linka avoided eye contact from Lupa, as she still had indication of crying sparkling in her own eyes.

"Thing inside-?" Lupa caught on, pressing her hands onto her body drastically. "Oh, no! Don't tell me he-?"

"Great, I lost my kickass gear!" Lucky frowned.

"You know what that is? Where can I get one of those things?" Linka would have never believed in that type of world that existed among them, in a world where too much science fused with darkness in the form of violence and death, despite having seen only one such event she, nor the others, could not explain. The supernatural domain only belonged to Lucy and Lupa, no one else.

"Don't ask again, I won't even share what this is," Lupa assured. "It's... A Grimmtown gift I didn't expect to get, okay? That's all."

"Well, dang, Lupa! You held out on us something this great? I mean, look at you! You were almost going to...-" Linka coughed away before finishing. "You know."

Lupa let off a quick laugh. "Were you worried about me?"

"No... Idiot!" Linka shrugged it off, staring out the laundromat. "Still got a tank problem. Stupid Lynn hasn't activated the thing yet. God, so help me if Liberty-"

"I think we'd have to to back. Or... One of us will! Damn, we're just going in circles at this point! And the two girls I've come across aren't around!"

"Girls? What girls?" Lucky inquired.

"Just these two chicks who are on our side. I don't know, one of them was helping me get the word out. She was Russian, and said she's from the future."

"Oh, ugh..." Lucky didn't need more mental equations.

"Then there was this other girl who looks like Linka here-"

"I still don't think you're making sense-"

"-Was in a hoverboard, and I'm not at all hallucinating!" Lupa growled.

"Well, why haven't I seen them? Huh?" Linka scouted both ends of the street. Tank wasn't in sight yet, and neither was the rumbling sound that would give it away. Instead, the Linka fangirl Lupa claimed to have seen came speeding down from the blackened sky, stopping right in front of the laundromat. And Linka had finally realized Lupa was not fucking joking, or seeing shit.

"Ah, hi!" Lina gave Linka a big hug. "It's you! My big sister Linka!"

"Big... What?"

"It's- It's an honor to meet you! For like, the first time in my life, that is! We've met before, but..." She was basically just rambling at this point.

Linka turned to Lupa, giving her the straight-up "What is going on?" look, opening her arms out.

"Oh, I need you to get on, by the way," Lina urged. "You're needed to be elsewhere."

"Elsewhere? Where could I possibly go when I'm needed here?"

"For starters-" Lina pointed a thumb right over her shoulder. An orange blurry figure zoomed past the laundromat, followed by a red one. Lynn and Liberty were still going at it strong. "Lynn might need some help there, and I've got a solution to speed up the progress."

Her hoverboard opened up a compartment from the side, revealing a bright blue liquid inside of a tube. Lina handed it to the first clone, offering her the secret power she didn't know she could acquire. "What is this?"

Lupa had paid close attention until the demon had wrapped up mending her body from the inside. He wanted out again, trying to get out from the attic. Lupa spewed him out like vomit, only the vomit was tar black, almost looking like an exorcism at work. "Wrrrrck!"

"Good Lord!" Lucky stepped away from the mess Lupa caused. "Is that the-?"

The yucky liquid took shape into its original form, moving about disgustingly. "Yes, hello from the inside!"

"Oh, cool!" Lina leaned to the side and noticed the inhuman entity. "That's the demon, isn't it? Oh, em gosh! I should take pictures!"

"Demon?" Linka looked back at Lupa, looking for quick answers. Lucky did the same, naturally curious about the backstory behind this.

"Don't look at me like that," Lupa snorted, tapping her chest. "That stays with me until I die. How that girl knows about him, I don't know."

Linka focused back on the tube in her hands. "So, what's this do? Do I drink it?"

"Oh, yeah. This baby will give you matching powers equivalent to your speedster problem, guaranteed to give them a run for their money!"

And with that, Linka tucked it away safe and sound. "Thanks, missy."

"Uh, you're not gonna use it now?" Lina wondered.

"No."

The ground had finally rumbled heavily, letting them know the tank was vastly approaching.

"How did you find us?" Lupa asked the new girl.

"I don't have all day to play twenty questions! Linka, get on! Demon, take those two and follow me!"

"Do I even know you?" The carnivorous creature rasped.

"Where is it you're taking us?"

 **Blocks Away**

Liberty was a tricky runner to catch, she might as well have been ghosted again. Lynn was always close behind her, but had failed to get the drop on her. The white-haired speedster was unpredictable in this wild goose chase, giving no hope for Lynn of catching her. "You can't catch me!" She playfully teased.

Lynn had run out of energy again, for all the endless running her body had endured. She was no infinite-powered individual. "Mark my words! I will-!"

Liberty spun around, delivering a swinging punch onto Lynn. "It's pointless! One speedster versus two, and you can't even beat me!"

Lynn closed in for a headbutt. She landed it, pushing Liberty back. "You aren't that great, bitch."

"Never had this much fight with my own Lynn," she shared. "You make this interesting."

The running continued again, fighting being taken into the streets, consisting of rapid punching and shoving, leading down the street. Lynn had to finish it up as soon as possible to get back to the EMP before it was too late. It shouldn't have been taking this long. "I'll make this painful!"

But the odds stacked up against her the more she was here. What she needed was-

"Shit!" Liberty left Lynn to fend off the five Marines that had come into contact with the pair of girls. "Ta-ta!"

Lynn ducked and dodged a wave of lasers, going through the trained soldiers like nothing. "I'm not the enemy! You're being fooled!" She didn't know why she bothered, despite already knowing that talking wasn't going to get her anywhere. They were all quickly knocked out, and Lynn scampered off with two of the special guns they had. Liberty had been scared off, a marvelously good turn of events for Lynn.

Along the way back, she thought she saw that weird girl with the hoverboard high in the sky. That wasn't all, as she was accompanied by something else. She couldn't make it out from where she was, but they seemed to be heading towards the school, where she last left from.

Linka, Lupa, and the lanky teenager were there, along with the Linka fangirl and... "Who the fuck-?"

Linka was the first to tell Lynn what for. "What the fuck is taking so long? You can't beat a simple lunatic?"

"Calm your tits, Linka! I'm here now! Why are you here?!" She dropped the guns at her feet.

"Clearly, you needed help! We hoped to provide the support you needed when you rerouted back here!" Linka then smiled. "But it looks like you got lucky at the last second and ditched your opponent."

"Yeah, well, you try fighting someone with animal reflexes!" Lynn took an eyeful of the demon, questioning what they were doing. "And who's this hideous guy? Wait, did I miss something?"

"Are you people always this rude?" Excetum snarled.

"Long story, don't bother in getting it."

"You and your... Lucy-ness!" Lynn raced down the hall, wasting no time now. "Cover me if we get company! Give me a minute-"

Lina's cue to leave was realized. "I've errands myself, Linka. I trust you to take care of yourself from here on out."

"Wait, what? But-" Linka got nothing else from the tiny fangirI, besides the exhaust smoke from the hoverboard. "Hey!"

"What the hell is she doing that's so important?" Lupa scoffed. "We need all the help we can get."

"Maybe they're taking down phenos like us," Lucky thought. "Haven't seen any of them since waking up."

"Waking up? What-?" Linka made a snatch for one of the special rifles when they came under fire. "Inside!" She cried as she engaged some Marines.

"Lupa, you can use your telekinesis again," Ex informed her.

"I need you again!" Lucky begged him. "We can help, can't we?"

"Again?! What does he mean, Ex?!" Lupa couldn't believe he had put Lucky into the battle this way. "No, you're done! Not even supposed to be here, Luck!"

"Oh..." Lucky sighed, feeling underestimated by power. He could do something, he felt he could. They could not take all the credit for this. Plus, he had overcome much of his own fear since this all started, which he found rather odd. Still, he wasn't exactly immune to the thought of dying, so of course he acted with caution, but he had a weapon of his own now. This man-eating creature that could act as a knight suit, and showed off its own durability before Lucky. This was his chance to be part of it, no matter who said otherwise. "Demon guy!"

"More fun, more fun!" He suited the teenager up. "Lupa, he will not come to be harmed."

"That's... That's not what I'm worried about..." She whispered.

"Did you call that thing your ex?" Linka laughed. "You... Dated... That?"

"Can you not?" Lupa moaned. "I don't even have to explain it, but that's his name."

"Well, he certainly fits Lucy's tastes. Sharp teeth, darkly presence, and whatever else I don't know about him, which I'm sure is spooky in nature." Linka kept her weapon aimed to the front as she moved backwards. "I don't hear anything! They're probably flanking around!"

"Or they're probably dead!" Liberty came sprinting fashionably late to the party again. She dragged the corpses of two Marines, throwing them at the trio of Louds. "Happy birthday, kiddies!"

Lupa was struck by one of the corpses, falling hard into the wall. Lucky/Ex blocked the second one from hitting Linka, to which the first clone responded by firing away the advanced rifle in her hands. "LIBERTY!"

"You got lucky before, but I'm going to end you now!" She went for the brat in the armor first, hitting the metal with her bare fists. They made a clanking sound, but she ceased after over five of them. "YOOOOWWWW!" Her knuckles went blood red, giving her enough grief to wave them around. "WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?!"

"The souls of the eternally damned," the demon wheezed from the armor's chest. Lucky threw a free punch, catching Liberty well within range.

"Whoa! I- I got her! I actually punched her!" Lucky made himself open by not having a helmet. Liberty went for the quick killshot there, and she would have gotten it, if not for one of the arms quickly transforming into a mouth, taking a bite from Liberty's offensive arm, a quick snack at that.

"A bite a day keeps the fright away!"

"WHAT- THAT'S MY ME-TIME ARM!" Her unprofessional comment made the armor horny, shaking in delight.

Linka landed three shots at the speedster, finally neutralizing her ability. "Got her!"

Liberty tried running, but she found herself back in normal physical limitations. "Curses! I'll get my speed back! Just you wait, I'll-" Linka silenced her with repeated strikes from the butt of the high-tech rifle, having no hesitation to be merciless with the girl. This time, Linka was hitting her in all the areas except the head. Pain, torture, agonizing screams. That's what Linka wanted Lana's murderer to experience.

Liberty was weakened enough to no longer stand, but Linka didn't stop there. She kept punching, she kept kicking, and even went as far as to flip her on her back, scratching away the many cuts she had already received from the glass earlier. "No, p-please s-stop! Stop it! Stop hurting me!"

Linka was ecstatic with the pain she inflicted on the psycho, but it wasn't enough. The last thing she did was bash Liberty's face repeatedly on the ground, breaking her nose brutally. "Fuck you."

"Hey, that's enough," Lupa decided, brushing Linka off of the beaten girl. "She's done."

"I'll say when she's done, not you, and certainly not the rest of them!" Linka jumped back into Liberty, but was denied the kill by Lupa, when being pinned to the wall. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

"I'm not having this fight with you! We've depowered her, so we can chain her up and leave her after this is over! That way, she won't be killed right away!"

Linka said differently, forcing her body to move freely. "She lives, and she'll find a way to stir shit up! She belongs six feet under, Lupa! She had Lori killed, and some of us... Them, they-! They nearly died for this-!"

Lucky looked down on Liberty when his mother's name was mentioned. Right, this was the maggot responsible for how his life turned out. This girl, this very one right here. He made a step forward, having a different change of heart. He allowed Lupa to take it away, up until that very point. The thing he felt he owed to Liberty. She was here, and he had the demonic suit for a reason. A perfect reason. "You..."

Lupa was distracted with her moral compass, laying it all on Linka while Lucky/Ex slowly dragged Liberty closer to them. Linka took notice, but kept her eyes on Lupa to keep her away from denying Lucky the kill. "You're a hypocrite! You've killed as well, I know you have! So why blow the whistle on yourself? Is it because you lived in peace? Did that make you weak? Or are you trying to set a good example for that damn kid! You know what?" Linka fired the real shots right then. "I'm hoping he did die, so you won't stop yourself from doing what must be done! I thought Liby and Lacy would harden you, but you're not exactly-"

"No, it's not like that! It depends on who we're fighting!"

"You're contradicting what you believe, if that's true! If you felt strongly about it, then you should not at all have anyone to be exempt from your beliefs. It's either you fight with the intent to kill or not at all!"

"These phenos are innocent, as well as the soldiers the Agency's called as backup. We'd be painting ourselves what the world makes us out to be! We're not like that, Linka! We're people who want to live! I want to live! And I'm sure that this girl-"

Lucky did what Linka had; he caved Liberty's skull in by forcing his hands against it, pressuring it to crack against the floor. And he felt no visible remorse while the bloody, chunky mess formed around the head.

Lupa stuttered, baffled and speechless by the teen's actions. "N-no... You didn't-"

"I did," Lucky believed. "She needed to be held responsible."

"Good job, kid. Got balls on you."

"Good?! You want him to murder?" Lupa was revved up.

"You're forgetting she's an evil pheno, too! You gonna spare Nnyl's life, too? Is that the problem here?"

"N-no... I just- Th-there are more ways to-" Lupa was punched hard by Linka, ending her statement prematurely.

"There is only one way to end them all, Lupa! This is our code! Not Lynn's, not Luna's, but ours! Lincoln Loud's code, and I will follow it, because it is the only true effective one there is, and it's always been that way for me!"

"You're impossible..."

"Just like you are lost about this-" Linka returned back to the impending chaos, looking around. "Lynn should have-" She took initiative and ran further into the school.

"Hey, we're not done yet!" Lupa yelled after her. "And neither are we, Luck."

Lynn was either sleeping or down again, another delay in this shitstorm no one asked for. She only stood feet from the cylinder, which was moved from its intended detonation spot from the rooftop, and into the schoolyard.

Linka attended to her, seeing that she was still alive upon checking her pulse. "Someone got the drop on her! Look around!"

Lupa and Lucky formed defense back to back, rotating to spot Lynn's attacker. "Is it a pheno? How many would be left now?"

"I don't know, but there wasn't a lot to begin with. Twenty, maybe thirty left at this point. But we've got the army coming around! Not much time left! Wake her up, Linka!"

Linka shook Lynn, before slapping her a great many times, to the point her hand went red. "She's not budging!"

"And she won't be moving at all!" Nnyl finally revealed herself to Linka. The blonde was not at all pleased to see her or Lupa again. "And to think I personally killed you, Linka. I guess fate decided I get to do it again. Best hold still-"

 _So this is Nnyl,_ Linka thought.

Lucky/Ex tried an attack, swinging out both arms at Nnyl. She ducked and sped right in between the arms, going for Lucky. "Hey!" He wasn't fast enough to react, and neither was the demon-suit, for Nnyl had phased through them and pulled Lucky out with no issue, ending it with a knockout.

"And what technology have you brought to the table?" Nnyl liked the armored suit Lucky had worn, and intended to sport it. "Mine-"

Excetum revolted and ended up stabbing her in the abdomen with the armor's gauntlet, denying her his own power. "No, no."

It slowed her down, but was not enough to do the trick. "So much I don't know yet. Ugh..." Nnyl applied pressure to her wound, to which Linka noticed as odd for a speedster. Nnyl then spun around the walking armor, causing it to be stuck within a whirlwind that send the demon flying upwards and away from the battle. Lupa and Linka lost Nnyl within in, backing away to gain the proper distance.

"Did you see that?!" Linka hoped Lupa had seen what she had.

"See what? The tornado?"

"No! Speedsters usually have super healing, right? Why did she try to stop it if she knew it would heal automatically fast?"

It took Lupa a few seconds to catch on. "Because... She knows it wouldn't! Sh-she's not..."

Nnyl was a clone, which meant that her super cells had come from Lynn. But did all the right properties get passed down along with her? Did she not have all the pros that Lynn had with her? It was always a possibility, but now it was proven. Proven to their advantage.

"She can die if we inflict enough wounds on her, can she?" Nnyl broke through the whirlwind when it began to die down, going for Lupa first, detecting her location by voice.

"Got you!" Nnyl exclaimed as she punched Lupa heavily in the stomach. The watch she had on beeped an alarm. "Damn it..." Letting go of Lupa, she pressed a button on it and spoke into it. "Everyone, get to Royal Woods Elementary School! I repeat, get to Royal Woods Elementary School!"

"You've called them! You've called all your slaves!" Linka went for a tackle, but was only met with an elbow to the back of her head. She went down, hitting the pavement. "No, you can't win... You can't!"

"I thought this was too easy at first, but I'm beginning to like how challenging this is for me! All the more worthy it is to best you!" Nnyl caught Lupa flipping to her side, trying to lock onto her. "Not you don't!"

Lupa was kicked back down, reeling in pain. "Guhhhhh!"

Linka made another pounce onto Nnyl, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck. "Come on! Come on!"

"L-Linka! Tail!" Lupa warned.

"Tail?!" Linka didn't consider the Lizard Luna tendencies up until Nnyl let it out, yanking Linka away from her. "Fuck!"

"Stay down, Linka!"

Lupa noticed a limping figure wander towards the EMP. Only she had noticed them, and figured Liby was finally up and about. "Hurry, please-" She squinted her eyes as the wind died down completely, seeing they it was not Lynn, but Lucky. "Wait, hey-"

Lynn was not going to achieve their goal, and neither would Linka or Lupa like this. Nnyl was distracted long enough for him to reach the metallic cylinder and take his hands on the activation handles. He was sure this was how the damn thing worked, rather odd than he'd seen in video games. "Oh, boy..."

"LUCKY, DON'T, THAT THING WILL-!"

Nnyl turned too late, but still tried to make a daring run to stop Lori's redhead kid from setting it off. "Hey!"

In the next moment, they were pushed back by the electromagnetic force. Lupa and Linka for sure went flying, and so did Lynn, who was still out of commission. Nnyl and Lucky vanished somewhere in the big flash of white light that came from the EMP.

"Linka! Linka, he did it-" Lupa found Linka sprawled on the ground, and came her way to pick her back up.

Linka drew slower breaths, shaking off what Lucky had just done. "Please... Don't-"

They went over to see Lucky, Lupa praying out loud that he was alright, left untouched and unharmed. "Luck?"

He'd be alive if he had let go of the thing after setting it off. What really remained of the kid now was a corpse, burnt to a crisp. A real human toast with brown clothes having replaced that of which he had been wearing. Steam emitted heavily from the teen's corpse, just barely cooling down to be touched.

"Lucky..." Lupa softly mourned. "No..."

"You damn fool!" Linka actually touched the body, bringjng its face up to hers. "Why'd you do it? Why'd you go and get yourself killed like that?! Why?!"

"Linka..." Lupa watched as Linka let herself get her hands burned. "He... He just... Saved us."

"No, I- I was supposed to protect him- But..." Lucky died already once on her end, having been shred to pieces by some gun turrets on their way inside the Prime Federation headquarters, an impenetrable fortress. That Lucky was more lost into the Loud's interpretation of the unholy, terrifying darkness, more than this one. More than this one who needed a Linka to keep him out of it. Not their Linka... This Linka was more suited for it. "I wasn't...-"

Her lips quivered, going unsteady. The body was slowly set down, and Linka examined her arms afterwards, seeing that her arms had turned skin red from holding the dead Lucky. She drew unsteady breath, eyes moving about, unable to remain still. "Kid..."

Linka had failed a promise made to a dead Loud woman. Failed it greatly. What would Lori think of her? What would the dead ones deem her to be? "I'm sorry..."

"Lin-" Lupa shook Linka to get her feet back on ground, but Nnyl swooped back into scene and kept her down.

Much of her suit was cut up in many places, as well as covered in burn marks. The blonde hair became frizzled out of place, but nothing too serious beyond that. "Too fucking close!"

Her watch that controlled the phenos by voice command was no longer on her wrist, meaning it worked. That, and the time-travel belt on her. The plan worked, but not as they thought it would turn out. The boy died without a meaningless reason.

"Why can't you die?" Lupa challenged, wildly kicking at Nnyl.

"Don't you know I already am?" Nnyl returned rhetorically, swinging Lupa around by her feet. "I want Linka to be my last kill! All these phenos can die at the hands of the Agency! My work is almost finished, despite what you think are advantages!"

"L-Linka, help!" Lupa cried to her sister. Linka was still scarred by Lucky's death, immobile to do anything. Had temporarily retreated inside of her head. "Linka!"

"Ouch, looks like Lucky's death got to her! The stone-cold girl brought down on her knees by this! If that isn't something-"

"LINKA!"

Nnyl dug into Lupa's mouth and squeezed her tongue. "Quiet! I thought you'd be happy to be reunited with them! What were their- Ah, Lacy and Liby!"

"Mmmffffggg!" Lupa growled with a muffle.

"I'll grant you that wish, Lupa. After all..." Nnyl released her grasp from Lupa's tongue, pressing her arms right on her hips. "I'm the one who really killed both of them."

* * *

 **AN: So close to the end! And, yes! Nnyl was the true killer of Liby and Lacy! Is! What does this mean for the others, especially Linka? Find out next time!**


	38. War Zone, Part Five

**December 5th, 2026 - San Francisco**

 _Lincoln had been exposed and under the influence of Medi-Sin, running around rampant through the streets of San Francisco. The team sent to dispatch him where none other than Lynn, Luna, and the four original clones from Project Link. They found Lincoln, still looking hideous in his new form. Nnyl was just above them, watching the scene from the rooftop. She was there on behalf of Lupa, who gave her so much grievance in the now._

 _A fight broke out from below, and Luna was knocked down by a headbutt from Lincoln. Lynn went on the defensive, pushing Lincolnn back from causing more damage unto them. Lupa was attending to Linka's aid, right before the firing happened. Lincoln targeted the weaker ones, going for the clones. Lynn was distracted to rush Lincoln before he could claim one of them._

 _That was where Nnyl came in, running down the building just as the bullets were moving ever so slowly. She first hit Lacy, by moving a bullet directly to her head. Lacy, the real successor of Lynn. The one and true daughter, a symbol of everlasting happiness for Lynn when she realized what was there. And Nnyl denied not just Lynn the unofficial child, but a sister that Lupa so loved._

 _She fled from the scene, making sure that Lacy really was gone from this life. Whatever happened to Lincoln, she knew what would change. They'd see him as a monster as he really was, and that's where Linka would remain as the one Linka who left behind her cocoon of a nice, sweet girl she was before. Nothing was at it seemed in the long run, and there was no need to share such revelations until death._

 **Hours Later - Pier 48**

 _Next stop was Liby, not long after. It was her, Lynn, Luna, Lupa and Linka there, and Linka had just punched Lynn, making her drop the antidote to vanquish Lincoln's beastly form. There was a brief argument there, and Nnyl just maintained her distance from a cargo ship passing by. The only man who had noticed her took a brief nap as she watched through some binoculars._

 _Lincoln appeared, and both parties began to fight. Lynn was the first to fall from the ring, as she couldn't go brutal on the man she loved. Filth to Nnyl, but the fighting was intense from there on out. Luna and Lupa double teamed, and Lincoln was easier to bring down due to how clumsy he moved. They considered it an easy win, up until Lincoln dragged Lupa down by her feet, succeeding in letting her head hit the ground hard before throwing her into the sea._

 _He then ran before inflicting a wound to Luna. Liby jumped in, landing right in front on him. She raised her hands to stop him, seemingly pleading with him. A bad mistake that cost Liby her arm, and Lincoln ran again, with Luna and Linka in pursuit._

 _Nnyl went to the pier herself after Luna and Linka had gone, looking over the hurt Liby. "Hey, there, Lib."_

 _"H-Hey, c-could you help me?" Liby begged in tears. "It hurts... It hurts so much..."_

 _Nnyl did offer her the help, but not the kind Liby had in mind. Liby would be alive to this day, should Nnyl not have gone back to set this atrocious fate for her. The poor girl was choked to death, ending Nnyl's brief time journey. Nnyl took the girl's ripped off limb, and left. Time to go back._

 **July 21st, 2039**

And back she did go, landing right into the schoolyard of Royal Woods elementary, spotting Lynn just about to activate the EMP. "Not on my watch!"

That happened, then this happened. Lucky was the one to break her control of the phenos, making her only a one-woman army. Surely Liberty was dead or defeated as Linka and Lupa weren't at all. Just her by herself, as it has been since the beginning. Now she was just about to take the life of one Lupa Loud, to complete the set. She wondered how Linka had come back, but it didn't matter. Linka was easier to kill than she believed, and they, plus Lynn, were here, truly beaten.

"W-what? You? You killed them- You killed my sisters?!" Lupa found some fire again, igniting from the furnace of her heart. It didn't make sense, so why was she mad? Why did she believe it? "Lies!"

"Her arm went missing, right? I know where it is."

Lupa shook her head in denial. "No- You... You didn't! YOU DIDN'T!" She squirmed, fidgeting about violently. It made her furious, and only calling out blood of Nnyl to be spilled. Then, she reassessed what was before. If these weren't Lincoln's kills, then..."

"Don't get me wrong, he did that to Liby, but she would have lived if not for me," Nnyl cleared.

"L-Linka, I was wrong! I was always wrong this whole time!" Lupa hoped to reach out to Linka, or at th very least, hoped Linka did hear Nnyl's confession. "I was wrong to... To hate Lincoln all this time! I thought he took them! Him, and no one else!"

Linka jerked her head a little, definitely hearing Lupa's words.

"I wanted out because of... Of that! Nnyl did this to me! Broke me before Grimmtown! All this time, I-" Lupa let out a growl. "I can't believe-"

"Oh, believe it!" Nnyl readied her razor teeth, intending to take a bite out of Lupa. "Sayonnara."

"Lacy... Liby... L-Lemy..." Lupa threw blows into Nnyl's face without budging an arm. She decided she wouldn't die yet. Not like this, not while Lemy was still in danger. Lemy, and all the victims of Nnyl's agenda. "You won't-"

Nnyl moved herself away, stunned by the punches.

"YOU WON'T BE TAKING ANOTHER LOVED ONE FROM ME!" Right on time, the demon suit had come back, and attached itself right onto Lupa. The two, acting as one, began fighting Nnyl, going evenly matched with the speedster as Excetum had already studied her moves, providing the perfect counter blocks for them. Nnyl was being beaten this time, punched, kicked, thrown and flipped around like nothing. "WE WILL KILL YOU!"

The foul blonde dropped to a knee, going straight out of breath, bleeding from her nose and mouth. "You got lucky, but you can't beat me! I still have some fight left!" She upgraded again, revealing her full Lizard Luna tendencies, with the claws, teeth, and tail. Hideously freaky for her to achieve.

"Going Lizy-like on me, huh?" Lupa chuckled. "That means I was actually beating you! Ex, helmet!"

"On it," the suit replied, accepting her demand.

"Don't delude yourself, spooky!" Nnyl raced back, then ran towards Lupa again, going for a hard strike.

"Ex, pop out!" Lupa ordered. The suit broke away from her, quickly transforming back into the original demon she had come to know for a good amount of time. Nnyl took the bait and began fighting the creature, only to find that he defied the human physicality, bending his limbs and spinning around like a contortionist, blocking and redirecting her punches all over the place.

"Hold still, you!"

Lupa returned to Linka and shook her. "Hey, I need you! We need you! Stop this! Lucky- Lucky and Lori would not hold it against you!" Nnyl kicked her away from Linka, while still engaging the demon. "Ahhh, Linka! Please!"

Linka stayed in her sitting position, brooding away.

"Linka, she made me leave you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I left you! I'm sorry I wasn't there for you-"

The first clone looked at the palms of both her hands, waiting for something to receive. Waiting for death by Nnyl.

"I'm sorry, Linka! But I need you! Help me-"

Nnyl went for Lupa, rather than keeping up her fight with the armor. "Linka won't help you now!"

"N-Nnyl put my sisters' deaths on his record! It was unjust, and still is!" Lupa was struck in the face.

Linka moved her head again, this time looking at both of them. "You... Framed my father for-?"

Lupa was thrown into her demon acquaintance, nearly done in from the fighting. Heavily bloodied up, she still got to her feet, stumbling and moaning about. "Y-y-y-"

"Did you hit your head too hard?"

 _"Attention everyone! Attention everyone!"_ The voice of the hoverboard chick boomed about in the sky, for all within, and maybe outside town range to be heard. _"I need all non-combatant phenos to escape to the north side of town, and for those who are familiar with fighting to meet up at Royal Woods elementary. Flares will be fired above its location. You may not know me, but I'm on your side. You've come under mind control-"_

"What the fuck is this?!" Nnyl looked around, not seeing anyone close by. Then, she looked to the sky, seeing the faint figure riding about not too far away. "Who is that? New ally, Lupa?"

 _"-And the parties responsible for this is the pheno in the green suit who is fighting the only true heroes here, and the Agency organization, the true conspirators who have plotted to carry this out in secrecy from the start. I advise all soldiers in the nearby area to stop your operation, for you are playing into the Agency's hands, providing them nothing more but a free cleaning house service. Lay down your weapons and turn to them. Turn to them-"_

"She's saving us!" Lupa realized. "Working the forces against the Agency!"

 _"And come to the school if you solely wish to truly serve your country! Come to help out the Loud girls! They are losing to the pheno mastermind as we speak!"_

No way Nnyl could have reached to this stranger, otherwise hoverboard girl would have been killed already. "No! I don't need the attention! Hold still so I can kill you and escape!" She focused back to both Lupa and the sentient armor. She didn't think the hoverboard girl would come crashing into her using the advanced technology, ramming right into her back. "Nyah!"

"This is just like old times, huh, Nnyllie?" Lina recalled fondly. "Well, more or less."

Air had been knocked right out of Nnyl's system, as well as her balance. "You dare summon everyone to my location? I'll fucking show you!" She got no chance to hurt Lina, due to Lupa and the suit fighting her again. "You want more?!"

"We want you to die, once and for all!" Lupa shrieked through the helmet.

Lina raised a foot, making her board go diagonal. "Burn!" Whatever else there was for the hoverboard's features, fire boosters were an additional perk to it. Nnyl's suit caught on fire while trying to block herself from the flames that spewed from under the advanced piece of tech the Linka fangirl flew around in.

"What the fuck-?!"

"Where can I get one of those?" Lupa fell in love with the hoverboard Lina had.

"This is a prototype, sorry," Lina answered, not breaking her focus from the enemy. "I called in your reinforcements. Two people, plus Excetum here, are not enough to beat Nnyl. You need an army, but I can't guarantee there will be no infighting among them."

"You keep popping in and out! What gives?"

Lina rushed Nnyl again, this time activating her front gun turrets and firing away, repelling Nnyl away momentarily. Lupa turned to Linka again, this time talking down to her with a slap. "Come on..."

"Well, I have my own task I need to do. Of course, it calls for me helping

Linka gave a reaction, taking Lupa's wrist and squeezing hard. "You feel guilty for abandoning me?"

"I... Wanted you to come with me, but I could... I could never have shown you what I really felt... I left you with them, all these years..."

"You... Say that like it's a bad thing..." Linka analyzed.

"I need you two fighting again!" Lina urged, evading Nnyl's fast maneuvers like a fly escaping a flyswatter. "I don't have enough time!"

"Linka, we can talk about this later! Right now, Nnyl needs that beating only you can give right!"

"Beating...?" Linka craved for the permanent battle of blood. No way she could simply wish to beat Nnyl and let her walk free. That was not how she functioned, never at all. "I know what to- To do..."

"And fast, too!" Lina wished, having enough of her toying around with Nnyl. "I believe in you two! Linka, remember that you are they key with the key!" After that statement, Lina left again, just like she had before. It only agitated Lupa more now, making her wonder what it was she and the other girl were doing that proved to be of more value than this. She had guesses but wanted to know so that she wouldn't be so mad as she was. So much for that ally.

Lupa kept holding her own against Nnyl, but was barely able to without the fangirl's aid. Not even the demon made all the difference anymore. Nnyl phased right through him again, getting to her with ease. "LINKA!"

After her scream, Lupa's chest tightened unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She gripped it hard, looking down to see Nnyl's hand having penetrated right through it. Penetrated, rather than ghosting through. Lupa let blood pour from her mouth, while the hole Nnyl made did the same thing in a gruesome manner. She mumbled out gibberish, gagging while trying to talk back to Nnyl. All her mind really centered on was Lemy. Him again, and the thought of never seeing him again if she passed. How unfair it was in her eyes. She fell. "Li-"

With this, the armor had self-neutralized, stopping only when Lupa landed in shit creek.

"Oh, are we done?" Nnyl smeared Lupa's blood onto her suit. "It looks like we are. Now then, Linka-"

"There! There they are!" A voice from afar called. "Just like that girl's voice said they would be!"

A mob of people had begun to show up from the far end of the school, all jumping over the fences, up until someone had ripped through them, making an easier opening for the collective of phenos to wade through, acting as the response Linka and Lupa so desperately needed. And it wasn't just the super individuals of that community who were there. From the front of the school, surviving townsfolk, bearing loaded weapons of all sorts, had come down to see for themselves if Lina was telling the truth.

"Look there! A woman in the green suit, just like voice in the sky told us about!" One of the armed civilians pointed out. "Does anyone have a phone?! Let's make this live to the public, and to the rest of the world!"

Nnyl's hearing range allowed her to catch that. She was not going to become a world target before leaving. "No, you don't-"

Excetum had begun to heal Lupa again. "I am running out of life force for you, Lupa. Get hit again and I won't save you the next time..."

Lupa recuperated post haste, feeling overjoyed to see the reinforcements had arrived. Lina had done her job. "Everyone, target the blonde in the green suit! She is a speedster, so be prepared to take hits! Attack in groups!"

The phenos were rushing past Lupa, Linka, and the demon, all charging to Nnyl, who herself was attacking the many armed townsfolk. Stray bullets flown around, going past Nnyl, and hitting some of the phenos.

"Stop shooting! Stop shooting!" One pheno hollered.

Nnyl had done away with five of the regulars, before the freaks behind her began to engage. Nnyl found herself frozen at will, spun around to face those she had enslaved to carry out her agenda. One such person in ragged clothes heated her up from the inside, making her bleed from her ears, nose, and even eyes. "Ech- S- Stop!"

Nnyl didn't feel too good, was giving it her all to break free and escape. Now that she was frozen, the rest of civilians began to make target practice out of her.

"You! You did this!" An elderly man focused a pistol on Nnyl's legs, unloading the entire clip into them. "My son and my grandkids were crushed-!"

"You controlled us!" A pheno piped in. "I saw everything you made me do! Oh, my God... A k-kid... You made me-"

Nnyl shrieked in dear agony, subjected to only more gunshot wounds while still being a fleshy statue. "I'll- I'll kill all of you!"

"Who wants to be the one to execute her? Or, should we all form a firing squad?"

Lupa and Excetum lost sight of Nnyl through the angry crowd of joined factions. That's when a kid, familiar in appearance and sound, called out to Lupa. "Hm?" She didn't recognize him that fast, but once she did, she was very happy to know that Lemy hadn't been killed during the course of the mass terror within the town. "Oh, my God! Lemy!"

"Lupa! You came for me!" Lemy was right to hold out hope to the very end, and past it. Things were bleak, and his fear had risen to indescribable levels. It was over now, once he found himself back in the proper protection. More than relieved to see the person he could come close to calling a mother. He cried into her chest, wailing heavily while Lupa embraced and comforted the young lad. "I- I thought she killed you! She said- She said she dropped a building on you-"

"No, no, Lemy. Don't think about it. I'm here, I'm here, Lemy." She had some degree of motherly charms, gently easing and hushing the hurt child with steady words, despite her wanting to weep with him for all the trouble he had faced by himself. "You're okay, Lemy. You're safe now."

"Wh-why weren't you there when she came for me? I- I thought I was gonna...-"

Lupa shushed him again, keeping the boy away from the dark of it. "I've got you, Lemy, I've got you."

His signature headband was gone, save for the one Nnyl had replaced it for. Lupa removed the fried device from his forehead, dropping it to the ground. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot it was still there."

"Don't sweat it..." Linka wasn't going anywhere, it seemed, so Lupa, taking Lemy, went towards the crowd to take part in Nnyl's own torture. That was it, that was the end of her bloody rampage. Now her fate was being decided by the two joint mobs who called out for justice. It was a miracle no one was fighting with with one another, nor even blame was brought onto the phenos for their own role to the devastation. "Come on, we're both getting our shot at Nnyl. What happened to the other two kids?"

"I... I don't know. Nnyl split us up, but I don't know where they are."

"Hmmm..." It was interesting to note and recall that the Fairchild kids had- Lupa gasped. "R-run..."

"What?" Lemy shifted direction, being led away by Lupa, running away from the crowd. "Lupa?"

"Linka! Lynn! Nnyl has a contingency!" Lupa warned with the mightiest of a loud tone.

Nnyl was still bring slowly shot, stabbed, and hit, much to the enjoyment of the two communities huddled around her. She then smiled, seeing the perfect opportunity to reveal the wildcard she didn't know she would use today. _Do it, kid,_ she ordered to the Fairchild boy. _Make them all my puppets._

"Ex, cover Lemy!" Lupa commanded to her supernatural friend.

"What is that thing?" Lemy was generally spooked by the armor, before being crammed into it. "Oh, oh, is this-? Is this my own armor?"

"Follow me, you two!" Lupa had to drag the mindlessly lost Linka away from the turned townsfolk and phenos. "Get that girl over there!"

"The woman in red?" Lemy glanced at the only person he could spot near them.

"Yes, let's go! Nnyl is using one of those kids for blackmail, and the other is-" Lupa made the mistake of turning her head back. "YIKES!"

"Why are we running?! We can take them on, can't we?!" Lemy cried out.

"Too many of them!" Lupa reached to the fence, tossing Linka over onto the street. "We're not gonna-"

Nnyl thought it nothing but child's play to her. Lupa wasn't getting away, and she'd make sure no one else would if even Lupa somehow managed to elude her. She dropped her back down again, prompting Lemy to attack. For once. "That's my Lupa!"

Nnyl's advantage was the skill to vibrate through most obstacles, material, and even people. She got Lupa out of the mobile suit, so it was no challenge to do the same with Lemy. And she shoved him right onto Lupa. "I remember the first time seeing you in Grimmtown. You two were crying out for each other, and it was so... Heartfelt."

Linka moved to the fence, only grabbing onto it while watching Nnyl take her steps closer to be the ultimate victor. She said nothing, did nothing, still... Still doubting heself.

Nnyl's army had surrounded her and the only ones left to deny her the battle. No, more like trying now. Not even a demon was able to defeat her now. Nnyl threw him far back before coming back to both Lupa and Lemy.

"Go invisible!" Lupa lifted him upwards, high enough for Lemy to remove his clothes and fully use his ability. His clothes had fallen, and Lemy was gone after Lupa had let him go.

"No use!" Nnyl notified Lupa. "He can't go anywhere! My new human toys have you all surrounded! And trying to jump the fence will only alert me to his location!"

Lynn was beginning to wake up now. "Ugh... What is-?" She stammered with a headache. "Nnyl! What is-?!"

"Ah, you're alive!" Nnyl had thrown a hard punch that she hoped would have killed Lynn. "Looks like I need to workout more."

"L-Lupa? What's happening?" Lynn looked to her for answers. "Who are these poeple?"

"She's won! We've- We've set it off! B-but..." Lupa exhaled into silence.

"But what? But what?!"

Lupa lost her hope when thinking back at Lucky having sacrificed himself for them, the greater good. She said nothing more, letting Nnyl happily catch Lynn up. "Well, Lucky is dead, and you- All of you-"

Lynn's eyes widened with horror. "N-no..."

"I've won, and I want you to know that! Me, not you! No longer you anymore! Lynn Loud's time in the spotlight has ended dreadfully!" Nnyl truly felt proud for her own nefarious accomplishments, feeling gloriously triumphant in the long run.

"Wh-where is Linka?" Lynn quietly asked. Lupa moved her eyes past Lynn, signaling to her Linka's location. Lynn turned, seeing the zombie of the girl who had broken a promise. "Linka!"

There was that glimmer of hopelessness in Linka's eyes again. The same exact look that petrified Lynn, stripping her away from the belief that they could run this around and save the day. It was a dream that was spiraled downwards into the pits of impossibility, forced there by reality. Reality that never guaranteed the good guys prevailed everytime. Reality that had snatched many Louds throughout the years, and still did so to this day. Reality that left the remaining in a dark spot. That same darkness was also what Lynn spotted it the twinkle of Linka's eyes. "Oh, God... It really is over..."

"Yes, you finally understand it!" Nnyl perceived Lynn's words as the surrendering of the battle. "Forfeiting is not always bad."

"L-Lynnette... This never was a game..." Lynn went on her knees, and set her hands on top of them, awaiting death. "Do it quickly. It's my only wish now."

"L-Lynn, no! You can't!" Lupa was conflicted, whether to get back up and fight, or to allow herself to be killed by Nnyl's hands. Either option ended with Lupa and Lemy both dying. The third option was throwing Lemy over, which would give him a better chance of survival. He didn't make himself known, so she'd have to subtlety have the demon suit cover him and take the exit. But she couldn't, as everyone was too damn close for it to go unnoticed. Not even Nnyl was that oblivious. Not with Luna's parts wondering around in her.

"She's already made up her mind!" Nnyl raised an arm over Lynn, making her blink.

Then, the shooting from behind had happened.

"WHAT?! NOT AGAIN!" Nnyl stopped the execution, sparing Lynn. She stormed right through the crowd of her new minions, wondering what new party was intervening. _Boy, is it you behind this?! I thought I told you to control everyone!_

 _It hurts wh-when I take control of too many people all at once! I can barely hold onto the ones I have under your control! P-please don't hurt my sister!_

"Damn it!" _Command them to target whoever's shooting!_

The Agency goons, backed by a handful of Marines, had come running into the school grounds, beginning to engage everyone they've come across. It was a massive shootout, with all parties nearing each other, ready for a full-on battle here. Casualties from both sides racked up, and Nnyl went around to the enemy team, ripping limbs off, biting heads off, and whipping many of them with her tail. She was quick to avoid shots, but those she had in the palm of her hand were not so lucky. _You've been cut down a lot of free space! Fill in the dead with these guys!_

 _I'm trying!_

"It's them! It's the Agency!" Lupa realized. "And... Marines?! Didn't they hear the message?! Why are they-?" She then remembered Lemy. "Kid! Lem!"

"I'm here!" Lemy spoke out, startling Lynn.

"Who- What is-?" Lupa picked Lynn up and pushed her into the fence.

"We're back in the fight! Either Come with me, or don't!"

"I-" Lynn just stuttered idly, eyes scanning around.

"Lemy, stay in hiding! Ex!"

The suit twitched when Lupa called out the demon's name. "Yes?"

"Armor on Lynn!"

"Armor on-" Lynn was the next individual to receive and helm the black battle armor for herself. "Wait, what's this? Lupa, if you've been holding out such weapons on me-"

"Not now, Lynn! Go! Fight on!"

Lynn had no idea if the armored suit was able to withstand the intensity of her speed. "I might just break this apart..."

"Break me apart? No mortal can-" Excetum was in for the wild ride.

Lynn raced around the scattered fighters, snatching and breaking all the weapons she could, while Nnyl was breaking all the soldiers by their joints, doing so until they stopped firing at her new army. Somewhere in the middle, they met and forgot about the other people. They made each other personal, and it was personal right in the center of a non-personal bloody battle between the Agency and its backed forces against the townsfolk and phenos Nnyl had wrapped around her finger.

Lynn and Nnyl started off with a speeding bullet rush towards one another, and Lynn ended up jumping to tackle her when they got to one feet apart from each other. Nnyl grabbed a pheno and blocked Lynn. "Why are you trying again? A minute ago, you gave in!"

"Things looked like they would only go your way!" Lynn yelled backed, performing a roundhouse kick to Nnyl's face. "Now it's a fifty-fifty chance! No way I'd back down from this!"

Nnyl threw a punch that came soaring from below, striking Lynn's chin and making her head twist back. "Amazing!"

The thing was, Lynn had known Nnyl's tricks and moves. All she had to do was recall how Nnyl moved. Upper punch meant she was going for body strikes. Critical ones at that, but Lynn predicted an incoming punch to her but, and blocked Nnyl's move this way, redirecting her hand away. It caught the vile clone by shock, and even further shock when Lynn landed a heavy punch to her face.

"H-how?" Nnyl tried to add two and two together, confused on how Lynn had predicted her move. "Lucky shot!"

Lynn moved behind and elbowed the clone, knocking her down hard. "Is this also a lucky shot?"

"You damn-!" _Make them attack Lynn!_

Nnyl raced away, and Lynn tried to follow, only for her to be overwhelmed by those around her. Lynn fell, and was given the dogpile treatment, leaving Nnyl free to continue her agenda. By then, the shooting and fighting had ceased.

 _Th-they are all under your orders..._

Nnyl smiled widely, revealing her sharp teeth. _You and your sister will be exempt from me._

Lupa came in and flung Nnyl back when she wasn't expecting it. "Where's the kid?! I know you're controlling him!"

"If you figured that out, then you should also guess where I've placed him at! Not that you'll be able to free him!" Nnyl moved back up, but circled Lupa rather than attacking back. "You're a resilient one. I admire your persistence to kill me, especially now that you know I am responsible for you going to Grimmtown in the first place. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong of me to say that I created the angry Lupa that you... Can be."

"Angry doesn't even begin to do it justice! You killed my sisters! Isn't Lacy supposed to be related to you anyways? Why? Why kill her? You two are part of the same gene pool!"

"Lacy beat me in being the first ever... _Child,_ of Lynn," Nnyl explained. "I wanted to be the only one. I know, she was dead before I was born, but I hated her that much. So much that I killed her..."

"That's meaningless if you're just gonna kill Lynn as well! All that you've done will only make you alone! Alone until you die!"

"Oh, I know." Lupa blinked, and Nnyl made her move before the white-haired woman had opened them again. She pinned Lupa once again to the ground, no longer able to be delayed again. "Finally, no one can stop me! Not Linka, not Lynn, and not even you!" She knocked Lupa out with a headbutt, neutralizing her and any chance of escaping with her telekinesis.

Linka was still behind the fence, still feeling pretty dead, and not of any use to anyone. Her mind was still gone from the world. She couldn't save Lupa or Lynn at this point.

Speaking of Lynn, the brunette was still right underneath a horde of Nnyl's slaves. "Hey, suit! Can't you free us?!"

"I can open my mouth and consume all the people over me."

"Consume? You mean eat? No, how can-?" Lynn looked up to the sky, seeing something shiny begin to descend from far above. "Hey, do you see that? Uhh, _can_ you see that?"

"I can," the armor replied.

The object in question began to get bigger, and more clearer. It was round at first, but the shape changed once it was close enough. And then Lynn identified it as-

"THAT'S A FUCKING SATELLITE!" Lynn yelled, loud enough for Nnyl to hear her. Indeed, a satellite that has been in orbit for God knew how long descended back to earth, burning up as it passed through the atmosphere. And that wasn't even the scary part. "IT'S COMING THIS WAY! LUPA! LINKA!"

Lina had come again late to the party, just in time to free Lynn and the demon from the pile of slaves, setting fire to them. "Get out of here, Lynn! This whole place will become a true shitshow in a matter of seconds!"

"You!" Nnyl wandered her eyes from Lina, and to the falling satellite due to impact in Royal Woods. "No! My plans!"

Lynn made it out of there, running past Nnyl and taking Lupa out of her hands.

"No! I had-" Nnyl thought of going after Lynn, but her army-

 _Have them all retreat!_

Laika had appeared before the kid who had controlled the rest of Nnyl's drones, and knocked him out, taking him away from the school, where the crash landing would take place. Nnyl hadn't known about it yet, but she had lost her army.

"No..." Nnyl glanced around, seeing her allies turning back into hostiles again. "Get away from me, you losers!" She tore right through them, making several of them fly. And this was just right before the hard landing of the satellite. Everyone was running in all directions, crying and screaming. Nnyl was able to see Lynn run away up ahead. "LYNN FUCKING LOUD!"

Then, it hit. The earth rumbled hard in the wake of the crash landing. Metallic debris flwe all over the place, as well as the gravel that broke away from the ground. The school itself was wrecked heavily, with half of it being gone from the face of the earth. The explosions followed, adding to the sea of chaos that one Nnyl had caused all by herself. And most of the people, soldiers, phenos and townsfolk alike, had been crushed and killed from the satellite's untimely impact.

Lynn had gotten away, but just barely. She set Lupa down as she wondered if Nnyl had been caught in range of the satellite. Maybe she had been killed in the crash. Most likely. In any case, Lynn finally gave herself a reason to catch her breath and relax. The suit came off, moving to Lupa's side. "I'm damn beat..."

The demon formed back to his original state, spooking Lynn shitless. "Wakey, wakey, Lupa," he said as he touched her forehead.

Lupa woke up painfully with a killer headache. "Ugh, I-" The specactle before her was something questionable, but also to behold. "Whoa! What's this- Who-?" She had so many questions. "HOW LONG WAS I OUT?!"

"Easy... Take it easy, Lupa. I think... I think we won..." At the cost of many lives for this, Lynn didn't feel like this was a true and simple victory on their end. She scratched her arm, knowing what this meant. "We're on our own now."

Lupa looked around. "We won? And Nnyl- Nnyl is...?"

Lynn nodded once in silence.

Lupa jumped up, scouting for Lemy. "Lemy! Lem!"

"I'm here, Lupa," Lemy replied from somewhere around her. "I saw it all go down. Y-you're okay, right?"

"I am," Lupa assured. "Come here, give me a hug." She opened her arms to welcome him into them, feeling that he was now safe from peril. "I love-"

They didn't see it coming, and neither did Lynn or Excetum. Nnyl rushed up behind them, and impaled a metal rod right through Lemy and Lupa. "Die already..." The rod had punctured through little Lemy's heart, but Lupa had been maimed in one of her lungs. Nnyl pulled it back out and went for Lynn.

"N-no-" Lynn was impaled through her abdomen, then flipped hard on her back. "L-Lynnette-"

"L-Lemy! No, Lemy!" Lupa gently lowered the dying Lemy down as his body kept appearing and disappearing in a distorted way, like a glitch in the matrix. Linka's eyes followed them, and in that scene, all she could picture was Lupa around both the bodies of Liby and Lacy, begging them to stay with her. Begging them to stay alive so that she would stay altogether. This was the change that made Lupa go a separate way in the first place. Lemy, the boy Linka felt Lupa had to protect, was-

Lupa had someone to protect. Like Linka... Like... Her...

Linka let the anger finally take control of her. She climbed back up the fence in pure rage and wanted in now. Landing, she heard a weird sound from underneath. The tube that Lina had given her had recoiled out of her pocket. The tube with the blue liquid that was to be the power boost Linka needed. She opened the tube, and drank the liquid.

"Goodbye..." Nnyl raised a hand to Lynn's chest, relieved to finally end her life. No setbacks of any sort. Just a good old fashioned- "Yargh!" She cried as a force so strong had repelled her away from Lynn.

Linka now stood over Lynn, cracking her knuckles with confidence and rage. "Well, Nnyl, now we can settle this like killers."

Nnyl spat out blood, letting out a low growl. "I guess we will, new speedster!"

With her temporary new speed power, Linka zoomed towards Nnyl, as the blonde clone did the same thing. They both let out battle cries, and made leaps at the same time, fists held high and mighty. The final fight was on!

* * *

 **AN: Damn, I have no words. Linka holds the key to victory now, having been granted superspeed thanks to Lina! RIP Lemy, Lana, Lucky and just about hundreds of people alone in this arc. Well, that's gonna be updated, but you get the idea.**

 **If you are probably wondering... Lina and Laika are indeed behind the satellite crashing down on them. That's what they've *kinda* been doing while the fighting went on. But what were they doing? Well, if that's not the million dollar question, I don't know what is. Unfortunately, the answers will not be here in this fic. But have I hinted at it? Yes, and no. Let's make me the master of mystery in the meantime, you know, before their goals are revealed soon enough. Huehue.**

 **Oh, ah! I better cram the rest of the Nnyl lore into this fic. Yes, I'm aware I have to explain the change of her appearance. Eyes, hair, etc.**

 **Also, I think that was some good Linka development. I need more but, I feel loke I barely aced that. Remember kids, you can never have too much development. Just don't overwrite. It's so ugh. The end of war coming soon!**

 **Did I say all I needed to say? Probably not but I'll save the rest of my thoughts tor the last chapter...s.**


	39. The End of War

_Lynnette was still in her chamber, under animated suspension, not due to come out yet. Who could have known when her time was to be out? Surely not her, and it was never something she'd wonder while in the endless dreamscapes she had in the comfort of her mind. It wad surreal, just as it was a false land of make-believe happiness. She was there with her mother Lynn, all over, doing good, being a family. A family with all their dead._

 _She was in the process of socializing with the one she knew as Liby. Dear sweet Liby who was the nicest of the clone generation. In general, she, Leni, and Lily were tied for first place of the nicest Loud family member._

 _It cut away when the odd event transpired; an uncanny black oval opened up right in her own chamber, taking her inside. Inside, and into a faraway place where she was no longer dreaming. She arrived all wet, inside a building. She found herself inside an abandoned factory, to be precise. Moss filled the place up, making it an ideal place for hobos and every homeless person in a twenty-mile radius. But she wasn't alone._

 _Lynn the Third greeted her when Lynnette reached the stairway. "Oh, and who might you be?"_

 _Lynnette looked around, still questioning how she came to be here. "Wh-what's going on? How did I end up here?"_

 _"Ah, fresh off the boat, eh? You've seen the black pit?"_

 _"Black pit? I, uhh..." Lynnette scratched her head, sorely confused. "Who are you?"_

 _"I need you to come with us," Third answered causally._

 _"Us?" Lynnette looked on as Lynn the Third was joined by some other girls from behind. Lina, Leda, Lois, and Gloom made their appearance, all gazing at the Lynn clone with some spooky-serious looks on their faces. "Um..." She felt quite uneasy._

 _"These are my new friends, no need to worry about them!" Third pressed a hand to her chest and introduced herself. "My name is not important, but it is a familiar one to you, I do believe. It's Lynn, but I'm not directly related to the Loud family tree."_

 _Lynnette raised an eyebrow._

 _"Oh, heavens no," Third continued. "But most of these young girls are. I have Lina, Leda, Lois, and Gloom with me here tonight."_

 _Linka gradually moved forward, wanting to shake her hand. "Hiyah, it's-"_

 _Leda pulled her back. "No, bad. Can't be wanting their autographs."_

 _"Y-you know who I am?" Lynnette grasped the piece of info she got from Third. "You with the Agency?"_

 _"We know... Enough," Leda answered for Third. "But no, we're not with them."_

 _What happened next was what Lynnette didn't expect. Somehow, and for some dastardly reasoning, they decided to attack her. She was overwhelmed, despite having an advantage. The ones called Gloom and Lois were the toughest bunch of the lot. Gloom had sharp teeth that she sank into Lynnette's chest, and Lois was basically a girl with high tolerance for pain. She revealed a knife and jammed it into her, right before Third injected her with a red substance, easily subduing Lynnette._

 _"I do this with a heavy heart, Lynnette. We all do, but-"_

 _"I- I can't believe we're doing this! We're creating Nnyl ourselves!" Gloom felt nauseous, knowing what this would bring about. "Creating and sending her back!"_

 _"I know, but this is a speedster targeted by the distortions! Hurry, change her into the green suit!"_

 _Leda and Lina left the room, only to come back with the suit that future Nnyl would one day embrace as her true suit. "Then what?!"_

 _"If even one of the moved people make it back, the rest of then are likely to return to their original pre-reset domain! This is like pushing back dominoes when they're getting knocked down!"_

 _"I still don't know why we don't all just go-" Gloom began again, confused._

 _"But you said this was only a theory! You're not certain this could truly work!" Lina added. "What if this only furthers the multiversal damage?!"_

 _"I'm aware of that! But once Lynnette goes back, we'll know the outcome! If she comes back, we'll have failed! If one of us is sent back with her, we have a higher chance of success because whoever goes back would upset the initial wave of distortions! Think of these distortions like a design! One unaccounted flaw will wreck the design! And that flaw will have to be one of you!"_

 _Lynnette had lost consciousness, more slowly being wiped as the serum in her body slowly began to shift her hair color from coconut brown to sunshine yellow. Her eyes changed color as well, going gray and red while she was being stripped from her suit, and into the modified new one._

 _"You told us that the main world's history says she killed people!" Gloom informed. "Is this really worth the price of returning?! We can prevent a tragedy from the world she's come from! I- I didn't sign up to push murderers to their destiny!"_

 _"Hypocritical of you to say, considering you ate people!" Lois threw back. "Actual people!"_

 _"If we all return to that main earth, we can revert everything to how it was supposed to be! That means those she'll kill, and every other dead person killed in the crossfires of the Louds' battles will live again, just like the dead Louds themselves! That is what we can accomplish! Nnyl's terror can and will be prevented, even when we really started it! I just know it, so believe in me!"_

 _Lynnette was knocked out by the effects of the serum, and Leda and Lina carried her to an ODT machine, with Lina going inside. "Nnyl will be able to grow inside of her chamber, right?! From there, she'll turn into the Nnyl you're so familiar with?"_

 _"Yes, she'll be sure to become the Nnyl I'm aware of."_

 _"Will she remember us?" Lois asked, hoping to not be killed by Nnyl._

 _"It shouldn't be possible, but it may be that she does remember her transformation in bits and pieces! Hurry!"_

 **July 21st, 2039**

Linka had the advantage, letting Nnyl have much of her super strong punches as they both ran along the crashed satellite, trying to out-maneuver one another. Surprisingly, Linka had complete control over her new power. It was possibly due to her being shorter and tinier than the Lynns that made her movements more controllable, easier to run about. But it didn't make her feel any less weird. Now it was her turn to fall among the roster of speedsters.

Nnyl had it all laid out simple enough to end up besting them all. Her army was just here, up until this. "Who the fuck-?!"

Linka denied her time to assemble thoughts. Not even an order to the boy she blackmailed fiendishly. "I'm the fuck!"

Nnyl whipped out her tail, swinging it towards Linka. "You'll _be_ fucked!"

Linka ducked the swinging tail, leaning way back, nearly falling. The first clone proved superior to Nmyl in combat, having gone back only to jump right at her and strike a punch from above. "COME ON!" Linka landed it, toppling over the blonde opponent.

Nnyl broke into a run, going around the wreckage, trying to regain space for the advantage.

"This ends like it started!" Linka found it familiar, realizing that Lincoln had been running behind Lynn when the day of their new lives kicked off. "With you and me running away!"

Lynn sat upright, only able to spectate the two Loud clones zigzag around, locked in a freak fight. "Linka!" Lynn had her shots, but had failed nonetheless, leaving it in the hands of Linka. Linka, who was more fearless and unbound by Lynn's own weaknesses. "Win at all costs!"

Lupa gave all her undivided attention to the naked Lemy, who was bleeding out over Lupa's legs. He tried to speak, gargling and choking on his own blood. His blue eyes moved around Lupa, sjowing fear and concern with each breath he tried to talk. "L-L-L-"

"Lem- Lem, shut up! Sh-shut the fuck up, for once! Save- Save your breath-" Excetum towered over the two, catching Lupa's attention, and a desperate idea. "Hey, hey! Help him! P-please-!"

"All outta juice, Lupa," the demon rasped. "My spares went to you."

Lupa groaned as her punctured lung gave her some grief. She was already applying pressure to her wound, while multitasking with that around her. Lemy, Ex, and the one-versus-one hosted by Linka and Nnyl. "Surely there is something-!"

She then had a horrible idea in her most desperate moment of her life. Her blood that covered her hand was the key, and almost immediately she began to write on the ground in front of her. "The words! What- What were the fucking words?!"

Linka grabbed Nnyl by the shoulders, throwing her into the wreckage with much force her newfound powers could allow. "Eat scrap metal!"

That stuck a metal shard into Nnyl's right cheek, to which she pulled out and brandished as a blade, wielding it around. "No, thank you!"

Linka dodged Nnyl's blade attacks perfectly, and caught the shard when Nnyl decided to eyeball it, only for Nnyl to attack when Linka left herself open this way. Down she went, rolling back, inches near Lupa and company. And then there were some shadows. Black entities that surrounded Lupa and Lemy, almost sinister in nature. "Lupa?"

The deal was made already, and Lupa steady her breath, looking back down to Lemy when the shadows sank back into the ground. "L-Lemy?"

He got better after a few seconds had passed, looking down at himself and then covering his privates. "Where are my clothes?! Wait, what- What were those things?!"

"My only solution..." Lupa let go of holding onto her chest, seeing that her wound was closed now, almost like she wasn't struck with anything.

Linka understood what it was she had done. "Lupa... No-"

Lynn made her way to Lupa, also having seen what had happened. "You did that thing Lucy did, didn't you?" She asked quietly. "For... Him?"

"He can't die, not now. Not yet." Lupa hugged the boy even tighter than before.

"Ahh! Crushing me!" Lemy yelped.

"Well, if this isn't a happy little celebration? Just when I thought I could break Lupa, she finds a way to save the kid." Nnyl crossed her arms, figuring out her finishing play.

Linka stood in front of them, shielding them from Nnyl. "That's what we do! We save our own, no matter if they are of our own blood or not! We save our own, because it's our way!"

"Save our...?" Lupa thought that Linka was probably fibbing with ideas. No way she could ever say that, not with her own style of going through countless foes in the most fatal ways possible. Never her MO, not in a million years. But she was wrong. This Linka, and the one Lupa ended up losing... They were always the same one, meaning the one Linka Lupa was accommodated with was in there, now coming out.

"Save? You've done a real good job at saving people today, haven't you?" Nnyl laughed in their failure. "I assume this satellite was part of your plan, too, right? You might as well have dropped a ship on this place!"

"We could have done a lot of things today, but not like this!" Lupa exclaimed. "Nothing like you've done, you psycho!"

Lynn recalled that she had one teleporter on her, and drew it out carefully, out of Nnyl's line of sight. "But do you know what we can do here?" She asked after concealing it in her hand.

"What's that?" Nnyl asked sarcastically.

"FLICK!" Lynn ordered Lupa, who shot her hand to Nnyl's direction and flicked her fingers at their enemy. Nnyl received Lupa's attacks like shots, momentarily slowing her down from running at them. Lynn threw the teleporter at her clone, which activated the portal right under her feet. "LINKA!"

"Oh, I know what it is you're telling me! Thank you!" Linka ran to Nnyl right before she could go through the portal, keeping the top half of her body out of the portal. "Say your prayers-"

Nnyl tried to shove Linka's head down as a last resort. "I'm taking you down with me!"

Lupa was the only one to stop Nnyl from killing this second Linka, making her fail to even bring harm to Linka. "Not even in your dreams!"

"No, I-!" The portal closed on Nnyl, leaving only her top half mounted over the ground. Flesh and blood came pouring out of her, making Lemy wretch in disgust. Her body titled over face-first, and Nnyl didn't move after that. Not even drawing breath at all.

"Holy shit-" Lupa pushed past Linka, laughing hysterically at Nnyl's body. "Where the fuck did her legs go?"

"Beats me, but does it matter?" Linka felt at peace now. "We did it, ladies. We've won the war."

"Don't exaggerate this beyond what it really is..." Lynn looked to the wreckage, and pointed. "I bet all the Agency guys got pawned here. What of the director? Was he also among the body count, too?"

"I don't know... He could be," Lupa gave a sharp exhale. "Lucky... His body-"

"Oh, no..." Lynn let out a tiny gasp. "Can you-?"

Lupa shook her head. "I can't move that big a mess, sorry..." Lupa poked at Nnyl's body with her foot, just to be sure. "That was a genius move, you two. Never thought you'd work together."

The second Lupa turned around, Nnyl suddenly returned back to life, violently dragging herself, while bleeding intensely, at Linka. "Y-you can't beeeeee-"

Linka pushed Lynn and Lemy out of the way, taking in the direct Nnyl attack from the sliced-up clone. She withstood a bit to her shoulder, gritting her teeth hard. "H-how?!"

"You can't kill me like this! Did you really think you could? Did you?!" Nnyl made a leap on Linka.

Lynn rushed over, forcibly pulling Nnyl away from Linka. A sizeable bite had been taken out of Linka's skin, making her angrily cry out. "Oh, God- G-"

Lupa spotted a handgun on the concluded battlefield, and brought it flying over to Linka before Nnyl had regenerated her legs. "Catch!"

Lynn looked on, knowing what this meant. She took a deep breath and looked away, having the chance to do so this time. "GET IT OVER WITH!"

"LINKA!" Nnyl was infuriated.

All it took was one bullet that was fired by Linka, aligned with Nnyl's forehead. It came out through the back, coming out dented. Nnyl had finally been defeated, killed for good after her brain had gone out. The body made a meaty thud, the last thing it could ever do by itself. Nnyl was dead.

Linka lowered the gun, feeling that Nnyl was indeed gone this time. "Christ, if that's all it took..."

Lynn looked back at the body after Linka had executed the clone. "Is she really-?" She found it out for herself upon setting her eyes on Nnyl.

"She is. Good fucking riddance," Linka spat at the corpse. "Damn it..."

"Lynn, what happens now?" Lupa wondered. "The Agency is sure to be questioned, right? I mean, th-they'll be-"

"At most, if we are really blessed, they'll shut it all down. The director gets the boot into prison, but I don't know. I really don't know how it works now."

Excetum had begun to leave the scene. "I sent the message, but they could not make it, as I'm sure you figured out," he told Lupa. "So I had to fill in for them, but my duty ends here, Lupa. Good luck, and have a great rest of your limited lifespan..." He sank into the ground, phasing through it like a ghost.

Lemy was curious as to what the demon meant by that. "Lupa?"

All Lupa did was just stare to the ground, drawing shaky breaths. She had just sold her soul in five years' time for Lemy's life. Now she could have a few more years with him, before she would come to pass. Pass and remain forever in the Deadworlds. She ignored Lemy, already sunk into the thought of the inevitable fate she willingly signed up for.

"Search for survivors," Linka told the lot. "Any pheno who survived, they're going to be wanted, that's for sure."

"Right, they committed the crime, despite being under Nnyl's control, is that it?"

"Nnyl would have needed to confess to this being all her mastermind plan. Maybe if some of the Agency guys lived-" Lynn began to zoom around the area, while Lupa helped Lemy get his dropped clothes.

The idea Linka thought of was to peg the bloodbath onto the Agency, as it should have been all along. There was sufficient evidence that suggested this was their work. The dropped mind-control devices, the creation of Nnyl, and the broadcast Lupa threw into the air, as well as the second one Lina announced over the skies. If they were able to hear all that, then a lot of people surely must have as well. Nothing to worry about.

The two speedster circled the wreckage, only seeing a handful of survivors aimlessly wsndering with no clear objective, turning to each other for help or answers. Some of them spotted Linka and Lynn, stopping their dos to get an update. "Everyone, can I have your attention?"

None of there folk were in tactical gear. Either phenos or civilians, maybe both. Able to be played safe.

"I need everyone to redirect away from the school grounds, and head out of the city! The situation has already been taken care of!"

"What about us?!" A man from the forming crowd wanted some acknowledgement from one of the main problems now. "I know the way the system works! They'll have our heads for this! We can't run now that we're here! And we have nowhere to go!"

Lupa and Lemy came running, just in time to answer what the man was addressing. "Not true! There is a place!"

 **Later**

Lynn and Linka escorted the batch of townsfolk that eluded the satellite, guiding them all out of town. Past the downed tanks and several soldiers who were running back and forth, sending messages by foot. Linka was the one who updated them all and sent them back to the outpost that was set up on the outer layer of town.

There, they met the head honcho leading the Marines, along with- "Bastard!" Linka had no regret to punch a government spook in the gut. She did just that, knocking the air out of Director Antonucci. "You did this!"

"That's far enough, ma'am," the elder general pulled her away from inflicting more damage. "We are blatantly aware of the intended actions the Agency planned to carry out, and as such, he will be answering to the justice system. Men, take this trash away."

The director was wordlessly escorted out of the premises, getting cuffed as he left for good.

"Is that it? That's it?" Lynn hoped for more. "What of the phenos?"

"That isn't my department, young lady," the general replied. "But I must be the bearer of bad news for you, I'm afraid."

"Bad news...?" Lynn didn't like the sound of that.

"I've worked alongside many agencies in most of my years serving my country, but sometimes it never works out for the true heroes, or, in this case, heroines, in the end." He coughed to clear his throat before continuing. "What I mean is, the government branch will not allow one of their own to have a soiled reputation to be known to the public, despite however witnesses you may have gathered up to back your case."

Linka felt where this might've been going. "Hmm."

"At most, the director will be demoted, but he will most likely not be incarcerated for his crimes. It will be buried, it will be thrown away, properly disposed of. The real problem is-"

Linka stepped forward. "I'll do it. I'll be the scapegoat, for all of it."

"What? No, Linka, you can't!" Lynn was appalled by the first clone's words, feeling this was unlike Linka. "Why would you-?"

"By the way things are looking, it would have been someone at random to have been selected, right? Either me, or Lynn here, or someone else who had nothing to do with it." Linka would accept it if it meant sparing any probable soul from being the deemed conspirator by those who ran the world. But she would have been used to it; an entire authorial force against her, regardless of who stood by her to revolt. It made no difference if she was alone. It never had, even if a lot of people had died for her back in her world. Fighting for a false dream. Why would this be any different?

"I can take it, Lynn. You don't know what I've dealt with..."

"No- No, I may not, but I know what my Linka has suffered! She would never-!"

"No, I don't know what she had gone through, but remember that we are not the same one!"

"I don't believe that! You both are- Were- Ugh!"

"You're confusing the veteran here," Linka chuckled before turning back to the general. "I want a head start. Twenty four hours at the very least."

"I can't guarantee you that much time, but I'd advise you to start the running now. And I can assure you both that none of your loved ones will come to harm. That does not rule out as having the interrogations call for said loved ones, however. They have to be told what they want to hear, as in the rest of you pleading that they are not in any way involved, as well as feeding the cover story that you are the true mastermind here. That's how they will be safe."

"What- I have to lie to whoever will handle this case? I'll have to-" Lynn was uncomfortable and distraught, hoping to have another way out without having Linka as the primary fall girl. "Say it was me. It's- It's my fault! The real person behind this has been my responsibility through all this time. I'm the one who needs to be punished for this."

"Lynn..." Linka had made up her mind already. She had believed herself to be best suited for the role. But only, maybe having a new enemy lines up would prove more overwhelming than that of the Prime Federation. In either case, she would welcome it and fight on. Fight forever, and by forever...

It would be until she lost breath. There was no winning this for her, but there was for the others. At least there was that. At least...

Linka hit Lynn square in the face, a knock out blow. "Forgive me, Lynnie."

"Right then, I will get back to it," the general said, picking Lynn up from the grass. "Start the running."

Lupa and Lemy, followed by the remainder of the phenos, had ventured north of town, coming across the woods. "We'll wait here until someone gives us a teleporter back to Grimmtown. We can begin anew, Lemy. You, me and these new people."

In front of them, Laika had appeared, with two children beside her. "Best not forget these kids, comrade Lupa," she stated, giving Lupa the Fairchild kids to her. "Freed them while Nnyl distracted."

"Oh, awesome! They're alive!" Lemy rushed to his friends and gave them a big hug.

"That's great, thanks, uhhh..." Lupa forgot her name. "Lackey?"

"Is Laika, comrade," the Russian corrected. "Also, need favor do you?"

"I guess I could- No, _we_ could all use a lift to Grimmtown. And many supplies to help rebuild."

"Ah, is no challenge!" Laika had revealed to be from the future, so that made the girl is the hoverboard hailing from there as well. Why exactly were they here? Who exactly were they? And... How did they know about the Louds? More and more interesting were the pair for Lupa. Did they come back to... Change something? Or... Something else? Whatever the reason, Laika and Lina proved to be useful resources for Lupa and Linka. Even Laika had herself some round teleporters on her, and dropped on before them. "Grimmtown stop other side!"

"Thanks for all the help," Lupa gratuitously said. "I still want to ask you-"

"Complicated mission, head spin around still. Best leave."

Lemy tugged at his motherly figure. "We left the supplies near Grimmtown! Hurry, we gotta save em!"

Lupa patted the boy with a smile, giving him a firm nod. "Right, Lem. Let's go home-"

"Not without a goodbye," Linka cut in, standing right in front of them. "You're going back, right?"

"Of course... But do we really need to say goodbye? It won't be the last time seeing you here, I mean."

"In the timespan of five years? Sure, but..." Linka rubbed her arm. "I'm not sure that might see you again after today."

"What, why? What are you talking about?"

"It's the government, Lupa. Someone has to take the fall, other than Nnyl."

It didn't click for her right away, but when Lupa understood what Linka was really saying, she lashed out angrily. "Linka, are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

"I could have been a lot of things, Lupa. In the end..." Linka looked to the sky. The day had already begun to end on a beautiful sunset, amidst the horror and tragedy that took place here in their own hometown. What if things changed if Lupa decided to strike the training base instead? What if-?

Lupa looked back to the town. Something still wasn't right in her eyes. "Linka? Something isn't just adding up... I thought I figured it out with my Linka, but..."

"Then share."

""Not even Lynn herself knows what changed Nnyl, apart from the Agency reforming her into who we just killed back there. I hate to think that we missed something critical. Maybe they did something else, but in the files we've taken from them, nothing suggestive has been implied to have been done to Nnyl. So..."

"Something happened, that no one else knows about? Is that what you're telling me?" Linka wasn't just skeptical, but she didn't care. The past was the past, and Nnyl/Lyra was no concern of hers anymore. "Maybe something did, but I don't see the big deal-"

"She met someone we don't know about, that's all I'm saying... New enemies, maybe?"

"If so, then they need not hide any longer than they could be at this moment."

Laika had disappeared among their talking, taking her cue to return to Lina. And Lina had come riding by in her advanced hoverboard. "Hey, Laika! We're all set!"

Linka had wrapped up her thoughts, standing to the side to let Lupa through. But she didn't go just yet. "Go on, Lemy, I'll meet you on the other side."

"Phenos, with me!" Lemy boomed, leading the rest to Grimmtown.

"What's on your mind, sister?"

"So... You do remember right before I left, I said some words. Real words, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I do," Linka recalled. "We're of Loud blood because of the shared DNA and blood, right? That's what you said, as well as us having been bred into the title, but not at all rightfully earned." She took a deep breath. "I meant to say that-"

"That I wasn't bound by them to stay, right? I was free to do whatever I wanted."

"Yeah..."

"Well, I don't know how good Linka had it here, but I... I never felt free, even when I was no longer living with the others. I went to many places with my Lucky, before he was killed. But... Freedom... It's not real freedom if you can't escape the haunting memories." Freights. Vial Corporation. Black Network. And the fires that trapped Linka from a peaceful life. She could never have that as long as she lived. Not even in a dream. Death. "Haunting memories... Yeah, okay."

"Damn... Well, I just wanted to share that, I wasn't sure Linka understood what I tried to sell, but you do."

"Ah, I get it, Lupa. Wanted to make sure I knew. Who knows about your Linka? Maybe she did, too. You never know."

"But-" Lupa wanted to ask if Linka wanted to return to her own earth. She could never really tell until she got an official answer. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'd better get going, Linka. Thanks for being here and helping me. I really needed... You."

"Mush detected," Linka squirmed, but in a joking manner. "I wish it was simple for me to leave like this. I'll be the number one enemy around these parts, and I can't even try to go home..."

"S-sorry..." Lupa patted her shoulder and was on her way back to Grimmtown. "See you, sis."

Linka twitched at the last second before Lupa could be gone forever. Grabbing her by the hand, Linka turned the shorter girl and forcibly pressed her own lips onto Lupa's. Lupa accepted her affection and the two shared some deep kisses, almost romantic in nature. Unf. The red in Lupa's cheeks were betraying her locked feelings. Linka was a goddamn good kisser, rolling back her tongue and even licking Lupa's lips when sending it back. "Mmmm..."

"You and your Linka kissed, but did you two have sex?" Linka pulled her lips back, giving a smug smile with the question.

"N-not at all," Lupa stuttered. "It was never gonna happen. At least, I've never considered it." Then she coughed. "So, uhhh... I do hope I see you again. We may not be each other's correct counterpart, but you're Linka, you're my sister. Always and forever."

Linka smiled. "Always and forever?" She held her fist out. "Count on it."

Lupa fist-bumped her sister.

* * *

"Is it done? Did we succeed in our mission?"" Lina looked over the mountains of Grand Venture State Park, joined by Laika.

"Lucky has dead, and victory for Louds, my friend," Laika updated. "The time abominations are all dead."

"It should have worked by now. I dropped Nnyl back to the Agency but the ODT and I got separated into different places thanks to the damn distortions. Didn't think I'd get dropped to her shitshow, nor come across you."

"Is this real earth?" Laika wasn't going to go through the shifting process again.

"It is if-" Lina had gotten her answer when the black anomaly had greeted them with a bonus of not, not two, not three, but four new additions to the party. They were Leda, Lois, Gloom, and Lynn the Third. "Holy shit! Babe!"

"Lina!" Leda ran up to her lover and gave her a big, sloppy kiss. "Oh, my God!"

"You and your overprotective nature," Lina giggled away.

"Did anyone put the moves on you? They'll have to answer to me!" Leda held up her fists and punched the air. "Let me at em!"

Third set her glasses back in place when they misaligned. "Oh, my. It appears that my theory is correct! We can set the world back to its original state!"

"And I thought you were just crazy," Lois laughed maniacally. "A crazy girl with crazy ideas. Who would have thought?"

"Wait, this place is gonna-!" Lina warned the four about the sudden surge of memories from the world they knew not of.

Gloom, Lois and Leda were suddenly maimed by a whirring noise inside of their heads. A thrilling sound that was almost a mixed sound of a dog whistle and white noise, causing the three to cover their ears as the slideshow kept going. Too many of them, co-starting total strangers they had never come to know. Out of the three, Lois seemed to enjoy the pain, ergo the cackling that she let out while the other three circled around, waiting for them to pull through.

"Give them a minute!" Third eased. "This really is the home earth we belong in! Their true memories are coming back!"

"Make it s-stop!" Leda cried out. "I remember! I remember-"

"Booyah, hehe!"

"L-LEMY! LYLE! I CAN'T DECIDE! WAIT, DID I-?!"

"Lynn Three, what do from here?" Laika did not know what the next step was.

"We find the Louds, of course! The more, the merrier! We can solve this with them, and Linka! We can-" Third noticed the black smoke that came from town. "What... Where in the timeline are we?"

"This is the thirty-nine, and Nnyl just cause a massacre," Laika explained. "Me and Lincoln clone fight with Linka and Lupa."

Third grew petrified. "Are you kidding me? That could complicate..." No, she pondered it again. "Well, I don't know for sure if this counts to summon the Silver Legion, but... If so..."

Lina gulped. "Either way, we'd have to face them according to you. And especially if... If this person who reset the multiverse could be in control of them!"

Third shook her head. "Too early to tell, plus I could be wrong. But... You're right. Prepare for the worst, that's all I can say."

Leda, Lois and Gloom rose back up, recovering from the brain throbbing, now staring ominously at Lynn the Third.

"Okay, boss Three! Lead the way!" Laika reigned over.

"Alright, buckaroos! Let's continue our quest to reinstate the original timeline!" Lynn the Third looked over the horizon, ready to proceed with their toughest mission up to date. She pointed outwards, winking into the sunlight. "HUZZAH!"

* * *

 **AN: I know what I'm doing. Yes, that's it. Be confused by the end of this chapter, but don't think about it too hard. Something is definitely happening here, and the answers will come, but ever so slowly.**

 **Yes, Lupa has shortened her life for Lemy, a brave, heartfelt thing to do. However, considering her age, she actually has five years rather than ten left for this. Of course, there won't be an exiting stage scene for Lupa. But it would be emotional, that's for sure. Poor Lemy, having to see the person looking out for him go like that. My heart.**

 **Just two more chapters left in total for this fic.**


	40. The First Clone

**August 2nd, 2039**

The shipping container was open, but Linka found a way to make it warm, beating the cold as effectively as she could. The body of a drug dealer and a dopehead customer were burning away at the right end of the container, keeping Linka warm as long as they could. Sure, maybe she should have snapped a limb or two off to have some meaty lunch, but she would be okay for another night without food.

Basically, Linka was homeless, and living in unlimited darkness this way. She had been hunted and searched for since long. Since that day that she decided to accept the burden of being the ultimate bad girl, branded that by all the right people with power. A target due to never stepping foot into the light again. Just like before, and no difference at all.

The fire tackled as the high winds outside the anchored ship rocked about back and forth from the currents, with the bonus of the winds causing the container's doors banging around, much to her irritation. It was only the third day after relocating from the sewers, the fifth place she had gone into hiding. Hopefully the seventh place would not be so damn noisy. Or a place she could so easily be cornered. No way she would be locked up in a glass cell again, not after her mind broke further due to her own Lynn's actions. Maybe she should have let Lynn take the blame for this.

No. Not a chance.

Linka sighed in her own personal hell, hoping she wasn't due long to be alive much longer. The rules didn't say that she would have had to stay alive for much longer. All she needed to do was make herself look truly, realistically guilty. And she kept doing that, and would so for a few more times. Just a few more... Just a few-

Linka went insane and punched the side of the container, leaving behind a nice mark where she landed it. The fact that she couldn't actually return to her own world had made her go crazy. She wanted to go back, but only that she didn't know how, but Linka was practically praying that she would wind up back on her world. And when she finally stopped from feeling angry and disappointed, she was crying, falling on her knees. Crying hard, for that matter.

Things had happened differently here, so why? Why wasn't Lincoln Loud here, alive and well? Why were they all still chased by some type of insidious agenda that wanted to lay claim to the whole Loud clan? It wouldn't stop, for some reason. It wouldn't, ever. Linka had accepted to give up the freedom that she had gotten since coming here. It had only been less than three days roaming around in new territory, and she accepted her new start to be flushed down this way. A new start she didn't want until she finished her war back home. And that war would go on without her. She truly felt alone.

Needless to say, the weeping lasted for twenty minutes, in this abandoned cargo ship where time was meaningless and forgotten, as well as a normal life for good old Linka Loud. Next step was to get out of here for one or two more days, to relocate to a less noisy place.

Considering the Agency would still be running, only in the hands of a new director, she'd have trouble to get away from them. It would be easier to flee them, as well as every other authority in existence. Apart from feeding the story... Was there really another point to running away?

Linka wiped her tears away in a messy fashion, getting her arm moist in the process. She only stopped crying when an uninvited guest disturbed her non-ideal abode. The crisp corpses were dragged out into the cold. "Hey, what the fuck?"

"That any way to greet your sister?" Lupa had come in, with a fresh cigarette in between her lips, smoke emitting away from the front end. With a completely new Lula-centric attire of a black sweater and a yellow skirt, she had arrived sporting a smiley face, as if nothing serious was really happening. "Good job hiding, the idiots don't know which rock to lift up."

"Ugh..." Linka pressed herself against her corner and let herself die again. "Please leave."

"Oh, what's with the tears, Linka?" Lupa came in and brought the burning corpses back to where Linka left them. She sat down with her at the end of the container, puffing out tobacco smoke. "Yoy want a puff?"

"Pass," Linka hushed. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"Oh, you forget I know these things about you," Lupa reminded her. "You weren't easy to track, but I've been scouting the places that matched our second-hand Freight MO."

"Really?" Linka was mildly astonished. "There's gotta be way too many places to find me in. I'm a needle in a haystack, supposed to be."

"Not to me, you're not," Lupa thought. "And to think we'd never see each other again. So, what's got you all worked up? I see you've been crying, Linka."

"Let me be..." Linka begged in a whisper. "You should go back to... That place you mentioned."

Lupa nodded in agreement. "I shoild, but they could get by without my help. It's a long journey to rebuild what was lost, but we're getting there. I've been pushing Lemy to roam without me being around. Eventually..." She inhaled and puffed out more of the lung-killing tobacco smoke, blowing it away from Linka. "You know."

"Yeah, I do. You did that thing Lucy did, with those things, whatever the fuck."

"And it was a good price to pay for his young life. I'm proud to have done it, Linka, even if it means that I won't get to see him grow up after I leave. I just know... I just know that I did it. I saved someone I care about." She hit a nerve, but allowed herself to feel because it was just them. The two clones, alone in a quiet place. The cigarette was disposed off, dropped to the floor and crushed underneath one of her shoes. A light sniff was let out, and Lupa was actually tearing up from happiness and a prideful feeling of finally being able to redeem herself, making a difference for once. She saved someone that meant a great deal for her, and she was grateful for it. Liby and Lacy, they'd be surely proud that Lupa acted in selflessness, giving up however many years she'd have left for the sake of Lemy's life. "L-Linka?"

Linka had her eyes taken off of Lupa, but returned them to her when Lupa called out. "Yeah?"

"I was wrong to blame him for their deaths."

Linka had gathered a thought; Nnyl didn't exist in her future, but Lacy and Liby died the same way as they have here. Did that mean her Lincoln was the killer of both of them back home? Or... Did Lyra do something before Linka broke her free from Prime Federation control? "I know... The clone of sporty really brought you here, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I would never have imagined her being the one to put me on the path to Grimmtown, away from the others." Lupa wiped her nose, still sniffing away with the tone of the moment. "If only we had Lily's own ability, huh?"

"The visions, right?" Linka yawned. "Oh, I wonder what happened to them."

"Maybe it wasn't permanent to begin with," Lupa figured. "They surely must adapt as we grow older. Means there won't be anymore heroics from the Louds in the future. It's good for them because that way they can settle down once and for all. Now, that's not to say I hope they can't defend themselves."

"Hey..." Linka had missed the funerals of both Lana and Lucky, and she hoped to visit them. "Where did they get buried?"

"Oh, umm... Lori and Lucky are resting near each other, and the twins... Lola's grave is empty, yeah, but..."

"They're together, right?" Linka hoped this was the case. "That's... Great, I guess. As long as Lucky and Lana are happy up there."

Lupa just nodded in agreement, getting herself comfortable in the corner opposite Linka. "You should know that they are, Linka."

"He wasn't supposed to die on my watch..." Linka whispered. "I fucked up twice now."

"Hey, don't pin it all on yourself, Linka. We were both equally responsible for him, and Lori can't actually be mad at us- You. We did try, Linka. We tried our best..."

"I didn't try hard enough, Lupa..." Linka exhaled with clear sadness. "Failed them both."

"Don't think about the failure, then! The good thing to come of this is that Lucky will never be harmed again! He's up there with his mother, Linka! I'm sure that Lori went there, she just had to when she gave her own life for you and Lincoln. I want to say Lucky did the same, bought us some time, and you know what?" Lupa rose up from the corner and stood triumphantly in front of Linka. "We did it, girl! We fucking did it, we killed Nnyl and we won for the most part! He didn't die for nothing!"

"True, yeah... Sorry, I can't seem to accept this loss all too well."

Lupa came back down, getting closer to her sister. "I get that, Linka. I actually would want him back, but there really isn't..." She paused and took a breath of consideration. "At what cost would you say you want to bring him back?"

"I... I don't know. I just... Needed this to...-" Linka shivered, feeling cold again. "I don't know if I could want that either. But it feels bad to know that I let it happen again."

Lupa closed her eyes and moved her head down. It was mutually relatable, she felt. Linka was succumbing to intense feelings of incompetence to even save one of their own, in the same way Lupa had failed Liby and Lacy. She had saved Lemy, which proved that in life, it was either going to be a success or failure for a great many trials and challenges. Linka should have known that, rather than moping around. Then again, those she cared for had died, who could blame her for feeling lile this? "I can't ever say enough sorries for this."

"Enough with the mush, Lupa." Linka studied her, wondering once more what it was that brought the final clone of the original Project Link. "You didn't do anything anyways. So... Why are you really here? I know you didn't come to check up on me. You should know I can handle the running."

"No, yeah, we're Lincoln's. Of course we can survive this. It's just... Maybe you can't do this by yourself. Maybe I'm supposed to take you in to New Grimmtown, which is what I'm calling it now, ha."

"What? You want me to come to Grimmtown so I can hide there?" Linka was intrigued by such an ideal offer. It seemed good to her when she first heard it. From what she gathered in terms of the context, Grimmtown was a great hiding spot. And if she could access it- "Yeah, I'd... I'd like that."

"And you and I will be the top gals of the safe haven! After all, we were the ones who saved the remaining phenos from Nnyl. They know who I am, and they'll know you, too." Lupa stood up and grabbed Linka by the arms.

"Whoa, hey! What are you doing?" Linka was not one to fight back, so she let Lupa lead her away.

"I'd rather we go now, Linka. Best to move at dark."

"Right..." Linka agreed without a second thought.

They left the large container, and exited the ship with different landings. Linka made a jump, and Lupa came floating down beside her. Lupa headed to a warehouse just up ahead. "It's really cold, isn't it?"

Linka succumbed to the chilly winds around, rubbing her arms with shaky breath. "Oooooh... I could use hot chocolate."

"We'll go inside to warm up," Lupa suggested, breaking through the side door of the warehouse with a flick of her finger.

"Careful, alarms or motion sensors!" Linka warned, only to see that nothing was triggered. Odd.

"I don't know, Lincoln has never destroyed warehouses, for that matter."

Lupa went deep into the center. The place was pitch black inside, with no cheat of the distant moon being around to provide light through the roof's glass panels. Linka lost sight of Lupa somewhere along the way. She stumbled about, bumping into things her ankles kept hitting. "Lupa, where did you go?"

Things had gone quiet now, strange enough for Linka to get suspicious of. Lupa hadn't yet answered, but instead, Linka's ears tracked some faint footsteps from multiple directions. And then some whispering voices, not at all of Lupa's. Nor did they sound like a woman's own. Men. Maybe hostiles. Maybe-

"I'm here, Linka! Follow my voice! I think I found the exit!"

And then, Lupa's true motives were realized in that eager tone Lupa verbally depicted. She didn't move to follow her sister, but did send out a reply. "So, tell me, Lupa. Did you think I wouldn't know this was a trap?"

Lupa hesitated, but then replied to her, no longer trying to stall for the mobilizing units. "Yeah, screw it. You're right, Linka, but just know I didn't want work with them."

"It's not like you to do this, Lupa. I'm surprised you did-" Linka was then blinded by many flashing white lights that got in her face, followed by some bellowing armed men in tactical gear who shouted heavily at Linka.

Lupa rushed back, moving into a corner of the warehouse. "But it was either I help you or all phenos would be taken away," she admitted. "I have to think about Lemy, Linka, I have to."

She heard, but was aggravated by the betrayal. "Damn it, Lupa!"

"LINKA!" Lynn's voice was heard among the horde of male voices. "DON'T THINK ABOUT RESISTING! YOU'RE SURROUNDED!"

Too bad Linka didn't keep her speed boost, otherwise she would have left already. There was no escaping Lynn, even if she could somehow find a way to escape the countless armed units. "Linka!"

Linka had a gun tucked away behind her back. She took it out with her left hand, followed by the sound of a sniper shot ringing out. She gasped, feeling something weird. The gun in her hand not only failed to fire, but Linka didn't feel it at all. Looking to her hand, she realized why; her arm had come off with the striking 50 Cal. bullet, leaving only the stump and a red geyser pouring out of it. "N-NO!"

"Hey, hold your fire!" Lynn ordered. "Stop shooting!"

Seemed like Lynn was in charge here. So many new questions sparked up for the first clone. "Go away!" Linka picked up her dismembered hand, which dropped the gun that dangled from the grip. "Why are you here?!" She tried again to attack, only for another few rounds of the MP5K submachine hit her in the chest. Linka went down with angry growls hissing from her lips.

"Enough! Detain her, quickly!" Lynn led the men under her supervision to restrain Linka. They not only tased her, put had also placed a sack over her head. "Back to HQ!"

"Lynn, what about the deal? They promised!" Lupa yelled from behind.

"I can vouch for you, okay? You've done good tracking Linka, now you and all the others are now officially safe."

Lupa looked away, with not even a nod to give back. "Yeah, thanks..."

Lynn left on her own, running first place back to base, leaving the convoy of three armored SUVs to take Linka away. She was sure to be out for the entire ride, and if she should wake up early, then she'd be zapped again. She was in the middle SUV, when it came under attack just as fast as they had left the port. Lupa was in charge of this, but was controlling the vehicles from a distance. She wasn't there, and the world wouldn't know. The front one skidded to the left, rolling on its back. Then, Lupa had the mind-controlling Fairchild twins, who were stowed away in a nearby building, make all the men shoot each other non-fatally after they let Linka be free.

Lupa couldn't be responsible for this, and Lynn knew it. She let Linka run free again, relieved to now that she could never rot in such a place like prison. And that was it. "Alright, kids. Time to go."

Linka woke up, greeted by the wounded, moaning guards. And then, the strange girl who rode the advanced hoverboard had come skating down from the dark sky, coming to pick up Linka. "Uber for big sister Linka!"

She didn't question it yet, only accepting the escape when it looked to be going south for everyone. "Go!" Linka strapped in to the girl's narrow shoulders, legs spread across the hoverboard. "You answer the questions later."

"Oh, no worries! We will try to simplify it as much as we can, okay?"

"We? You've got friends now?" Linka asked.

"No, Linka. _We've_ got friends now!" Lina corrected. "Hold on tight!" She activated the rocket boost of the board.

 **Later**

Lina dropped her off somewhere high in the woods, where she had her own cabin to settle down in, in the meantime. "Supplies are left for ya here. You won't be alone, big sister, but I have to go, okay? I need you to stay here, okay? Don't move until I come back." Lina was leaving the scene.

"W-wait, really? You're just gonna-" And she was gone, just like that. Linka crossed her arms and went inside the cabin, giving it the old eyeful examination. It seemed clean, for the most part. Quiet and warm as any cabin would be by regular standards. No one lived here before her, or maybe this was paid property that served as a vacation destination. In any case, Linka didn't care. She made herself at home, already beginning to look through that of which Lina had left for her.

And Linka was already remodeling, alone from the world. She could die here, commit suicide even. The bleeding of her stump had stopped somewhere back there, but she had only just noticed it at this point. All there was left to do was to live here alone.

* * *

 **AN: Shorter chapter, cause I didn't have much to write for this one. Not even more dialogue between Linka and Lupa for it. But, this chapter ends not here. Enjoy this deleted part from the prologue of War Zone!**

* * *

 **July 21st, 2039 - Royal Woods, Michigan**

They were caught in the radius of the battlefield. Nnyl had done just as Lupa had known, and Linka had already been briefed on what was taking place underneath everyone's noses. The mind controlled phenos were already attacking, destroying and massacring people. Explosions, horrified screams, and fiery smoke had filled the air as soon as it started. No gunfire yet, but it would come soon enough.

The townsfolk were running away from the town, racing away in their cars or on foot, to the outskirts of town, far from the grasp of death. Death in the form of Nnyl and her army of phenos. Somewhere among them was Lemy. Had to be.

Linka and Lupa had taken cover in a Subway shop, but that's where things got a little tricky. Three phenos, a group of kids, had wandered around the street where the sandwich shop had been. They were seen killing some few people with their unorthodox powers. One was emitting white beams, the second had some claws, and the third was a disgusting pheno with limb extension abilities. Linka twitched with necessity to kill them when they came into view.

She was not at all the right partner for this, as seen to Lupa when she came out and flagged them down. "Hey, spookies! There are children here!"

Misfortunate for her as she didn't have a gun yet. But she made due with the supplies from the back counter at the restaurant, and armed herself with some knives.

The three kids had come in, and Lupa threw Beam Boy into the wall, having no intention to kill. The devices on their heads were described only as headband shaped devices with an antenna sticking out. "Get those off of them!"

Linka leaped over the counter and stabbed Claw Girl's throat in, and yanked the knife to the other side, making a bloody mess.

"Linka, these are just kids!"

The contortionist tried to swing at Linka, but had missed and grabbed Lupa by her hands. They were gone when the third kid had crushed them easily, right before Linka burrowed the two knives into his eyes.

"LINKA!"

"What?" She pulled her clone sister free from the huge hand.

Lupa groaned in pain. "T-that fuck... My hands, I-" Lupa tried very painfully to lift up a chair, but it only wobbled about. "Ahh! Fuck!"

"Did I really just lose you?"

Lupa fell down on her ass and just lifted her hands weakly. "It hasn't even started yet! How can this be happening?!"

Linka lifted her up, and was helping her out when a tank, an actual M1 Abrams tank, was passing by as if this was normal. They froze, and began stepping back carefully. Of course, the pair went noticed anyway, and the cannon redirected, slowing moving to their location. "Is this the Agency cleaning house?"

"Yes... Yes it is," Lupa replied.

Linka tried her fastest to bolt it to the back of the restaurant with Lupa. Seconds later, the large blast send them down, sprawled on the floor non-fatally. Linka had taken more of the blast damage, but she was fairly finr despite the bleeding from her face and body. Lupa had been spared, but her arms were still broken.

To make matters worse, their exit was caved in. "Shit! Shit!"

"Linka, are you okay?!"

"No, I'm not okay! We're- We're pinned down by a tank! We're actually pinned down by a goddamn tank!"

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, the original plan was to drop right into the battle, and this was the prologue chapter under the title of Tanked Up! where Linka and Lupa are stuck in the shop with a tank before officially starting the arc. I think we can all agree that Linka is a force to fear indefinitely.**

 **Of all the ways I could have gone. Maaaaaan. Final chapter hits Christmas.**


	41. Dawn of the New World

**Five Years Later**

Linka got by just fine with a missing arm. She hunted, adapted, and ate wildlife for the past many years. She lost count of time after passing the 200th day, but she didn't care. Lupa had just gone, meaning it was five exact years since the defeat of the blonde Lynn clone. Five years, and no update of what was currently happening in the world. Oh, well, at least she tricked Nnyl into believing she was out of the picture when this world's Linka had died. Nnyl should have considered that she'd bring about the silver beings that way, but she ended up killing Linka anyways, even after it was made to look like a time alteration. A big no-no around here.

Lily and Luan weren't coming back, and no one else would be coming back. She should have been dead by now. She wished she were, and maybe she didn't need to have listened to that stranger who looked like her. Linka was left with no answers about who she was or where she came from.

Big sister. That's what Lina called her when they first met. Whatever that meant, Linka had decided she didn't give any shit for anything anymore, hadn't for so long.

She settled down over her dirty, stained bed, desiring to sleep the rest of the day away. She almost got her wish upon slowly closing her eyes, but things shifted against her favor when a new uninvited guest came kicking the door in. "WHAT NOW?!"

Laika came in, appearing all bloody and banged up. Behind her, Lynn the Third was there as well. "Comrade Linka, is you!"

"Hey, what-?" Linka stood up and went for her glass shard of a weapon. "What are you two-?"

"HEY, DUCK!" Third screamed as she looked behind, and hit the floor. Laika did the same, only confusing Linka.

The cabin's entire roof ripped right off, sending wooden debris come down like rain. Linka dove under the dusty table, taking cover. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Linka, it's not us, it's-!" Third began, getting back up. "It's the one who did this to us all!"

A glowing light flashed from outside, and closed in before Linka's own eyes. The light was severely bright, enough to give Linka a headache. Gradually, she turned away from it. "What is that?! What the fuck did you bring to the cabin?!"

"THE ONE IN CONTROL OF THE SILVERHEADS! I AM NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH YOU, WOMAN!" Third nearly lost her voice while screaming.

Laika drew out a pistol and fired at the light. "Running out of bullets!"

"Hold on, Laika! The formula is coming!" Third grabbed some dirty dishes and joined Laika in trying to stop the source of the light. She heaved the dishes out like frisbees, trying to hit the light.

As it came closer, Linka looked back and saw the light take shape into a humanoid being. "What the fuck- What the fuck is that thing?!"

The light-being threw a fist, knocking Laika down hard. "Acch! C-comrade-!"

And on cue, a well-timed opening of a blue portal popped up in front of Linka. Out came Lina, riding fast on her special hoverboard, holding a syringe. "THIS IS IT! THIS IS OUR ONLY TICKET OUT!"

"Lina!" Third went for the syringe, filled with a silver substance that Linka didn't identify as one of the original Vial formulas. "It has to be me!"

"NO!" The light-being moved to grab at Third, but Lina got in the way, spewing out the fire feature away at the being who was behind the multiverse distortions. "YOU WILL NOT STRIP ME OF MY POWER!"

"Hurry, take it!" Lina shouted, while trying to dodge attacks. "I can't keep-"

The being caught the hoverboard and yanked Lina away from it. "You're nothing but a little abomination!"

"Let go! Let go of-!" Lina tried to free herself, the final action she could do before the being killed her by evaporating her like nothing. Lina's dying scream echoed as she turned into nothing, fading away with the air. "LEDAAAA!"

"Ah, no! Ally Lina!" Laika had witnessed the death of a good friend, and as such, was angrily motivated to attack the powerful entity head-on. "Come on, you!"

The illuminated being only grabbed Laika by the neck fairly simple, and made her vanish the same way Lina did. "Perish."

"Third, y-you fix..." Laika was rendered nonexistent before she could finish.

Third injected the concoction into her bloodstream, groaning a bit from the syringe's needle poking into her. "I can do this... I can do this..."

Linka jumped into battle the second Laika had vanished, starting off with her throwing some punches. But they didn't do any sort of damage to the illuminated being. "Damn it! You girl, what are you doing?!" Linka called back to Third, turning to her. And gasped.

Third's skin began to shift, rendering into the same flashing light as this unknown foe was emitting as. The serum worked, and she had tapped into the godlike power. "Move, Linka! Move!"

"What the hell is-?" Linka pushed herself off her powerful opponent, strangely feeling that the illuminating skin was not at all hurting her. A light with no heat. Stranger things by the year.

"Stop it now!" The illuminated being once again warned Third. "You can't undo what I've set in motion!"

"Oh, but I can!" Third protested back, raising and extending her hands high in the air. "And I will! Time to undo your new form, and return to the one true timeline of our earth!"

Then, she made one loud clap. And the whole scene flashed white, blinding Linka. The screaming of the being was lost in a rattling noise all around, until it stopped. And then, nothing could be heard, nor seen until-

"Linka!"

Linka opened her eyes, coming back to with an astonished gasp. "Shit!" She thought to have still been in the cabin, but she couldn't have been more wrong. "What on...-"

No longer inside a cabin with a missing rooftop, Linka found herself in a random hotel room with an exquisitely lively modern decor and layout. The carpet was comfortably fuzzy at her bare feet. The bed was a queen size, built for two, and two comfy one-seat couches faced away from the bed, directed at the flatscreen opposite the bed. Two nightstands were also placed on either side, with one of the holding a can of Sprite.

Linka was sprawled across the bed, seeing Lynn the Third, wearing a dress this time, smiling at her. "Well, hello to you, too!"

"Hey, what- What happened? Where's-?" She lifted her stump- Only to find that her left hand was back where it wasn't before. She got her hand back, and looked on with awe. "H-how is this possible?"

"It's over, Linka. All those tragedies... Liberty, Nnyl, Lisa- All the events that you know are no longer in existence." Third sat down next to her and kept going. "Everything that happened in the timespan of two decades aren't exactly gone, but... This is the better outcome."

"Better outcome? What do you mean?"

"When I did that thing, you know, the clapping-" She made a clapping motion while explaining. "I had the power of the Silverheads, you see, and that enabled me to make only one move, and that move was putting back all the fragments that broke off into their proper places. I saw all of them when I arranged it back. No more orphaned kids. No more estrangement from the Louds and their kids, and no more deadly obsessions. No more innocent girls with demons causing all sorts of damage. No more misery. No more death. Not in any other earth. Not anymore. This, Linka. This is where it all belonged, where they all belonged."

"I... I think I get what you're saying... So this... Is fixed?"

"Yes, Linka. The Loudiverse is no more. There is only..." Lynn the Third then began to go transparent, making Linka stand up, alarmed.

"Hey, what... What are you doing? Is this you doing this?!"

"Linka... You and I _already_ have counterparts here... We will cease to exist. We never exactly belonged here..."

Linka didn't understand what she meant. "B-b-but you said that we are p-parts of the real earth! Wh-why is-?" And then, her hands were also pulling the vanishing trick. "N-no... Not me, I- I just got my arm b-back..." She cried softly. "I don't want to go... I- I don't want to go..."

Third took off her glasses, and set them on the nightstand with the Sprite. "I know... It's not been for nothing, Linka. It was for something, I swear it on my life."

Linka then disappeared from top to bottom, going faster than Third had. Third exhaled, and walked over to the window. She smiled happily across the long night. There was a moon here this time, and that made her feel more safe and accommodated to this world. It was all over, the lives of her, her allies, and those who were wiped in the false timelines of this earth. "Goodbye, mom... Goodbye, dad..." She said before disappearing.

* * *

The room's door opened up, and in came an unexpected guest. Lyra Loud had booked the room for the night to get away from some family drama, coming in with nothing but a similar attire that was Luna's own, only with a skull sweater and some leggings instead. She thought she was alone, when the second person showed up.

Her half-sister was there, in a silly disguise. This person had a baseball cap, a green sweater and black pants, and a grumpy attitude that rivaled that of Lupa's own at the moment. "Running away so soon, Lyra?"

"I can't do it. I just can't." Lyra sat on the bed, laying firmly down to take a breather. "I can't kill him."

"Oh, sure you can! You've got the skills for it!" The second person removed her cap and walked inside, closing the door. Lynnette didn't run thirty miles for Lyra to wimp out. "He's dead in the future! What difference will it make? Besides, enough people want him dead already! We can achieve this and be the best speedsters alive!"

"I don't know if I can. I don't... Want to be a sinner..."

"Hmph. The bible's gotten into your head, huh? Well, if you won't kill him, I'll do it all by myself. You'll see!"

Lyra sat up angrily. "Lynnette, how could you be able to do this? After all... After all, Lincoln isn't just my father, but he's also yours and Lynn the Third's! Do you really want to strip Lynn Loud's firstborn from her father?"

"What do I care? I wasn't around them all too much while growing up, and neither were you. The clone called Lacy is more of a daughter to them, and a sister to Lynn the Third than I could ever be."

"You're nothing but pure evil! And this won't change my mind. I want him to stay alive! He was there for us as kids, you'd... You'd be messing with our childhoods. Where did you go wrong?"

Lynnette did a U-turn and left the room. "You best stay out of my way, or this is war, sister," she warned, and then stopped right under the doorway. "Oh, and by the way... It's Nnyl now."

* * *

 **To be continued in Year Unknown, coming in January, followed by The A, kicking off** **in the three year anniversary of the show. The A...**

 **...Is the fourth entry of 2026. And then it's not. Worry not, for all will become clear.**

 **Year Unknown will be binge-dropped in complete come January 1st.**

 **2039 has officially ended. Happy holidays!**


End file.
